Cold-snap list
The cold-snap priority list
A list of people we call before a hard cold, and call back first if their heat goes out.
It started with Fidencio's mother-in-law, who lived alone in Archer Heights and wouldn't ask for anything. Now a parent, a neighbor or a block club can put a name on it. We keep it short, we keep it private, and we use it for one thing.
How it works
What being on the list means
A name goes on
You, a daughter or a neighbor fills in the form below, or calls Matilde at the shop.
A call before the cold
When a hard cold is forecast, someone phones to ask if the heat is on and working.
The front of the board
If the heat goes out, the call goes to the front of the dispatch board, ahead of the others that day.
Nothing is sold
The calls are about the heat. The list isn't shared, and a name can come off with one phone call.
What the list does not do
It doesn't promise an arrival time. On the coldest night of the year every shop in the city is busy, and a promise of an hour would be a guess.
It isn't a replacement for 911. If a carbon monoxide alarm is sounding, or someone is unwell, call 911 first.
It doesn't ask for money. A repair is priced the way any other repair is, in writing, before work starts.
Add a name
Put someone on the cold-snap list
Tell us who to call and how to reach them. We only phone about the heat.
- Monday – FridayToday
- 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
- SaturdayToday
- 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
- SundayToday
- Closed
From October 15 to April 15 a technician answers the no-heat line after hours. The after-hours visit fee is on the pricing page.