Problem with utility company

[cpugs]

To make a long story as short as possible, my gas was cut off on Wed of last week for non-payment. I paid the bill early Thursday and called them to schedule reconnection. Their tech showed up at 11:45 PM (after I had long gone to bed). He had tried to call my cell, but it was turned off since I was going to bed. He did not ring the doorbell, he just left a note saying he couldn't turn the gas on since he couldn't get in the house. I called them again on Friday morning and they said the tech works from 8pm-midnight in my area and they would schedule another reconnection. I waited till 12:06 and called their emergency number only to learn they never scheduled it! Their office is closed on the weekend, so my husband cut the lock off the gas meter on Saturday so we can have hot water and heat. Today, the tech showed up (no phone call to make sure someone was home) and again disconnected the service for "theft of service". We tried changing to another gas company only to learn there's a monopoly in our area. Is there anyway we can get compensation for the 2 days they forced us to go without hot water, stove, and heat? It would've been alot longer if my husband hadn't of taken things into his own hands, but with 2 kids, I don't think he had much of a choice.
Thanks.

 

[presutin]

The simplest answer to your question is - no. Why? See these comments from the perspective of a reasonable person. 1) If hot water was so critical to you and your family and leaving the phone on was the lifeline between you and the utility company professional, you had to leave the phone on! 2) If you wanted to see where the technician was, you would not wait until 12:06AM to find out, you would start calling at around 9:00PM to see where the tech was and what would be his estimated time of arrival at your house. 3) Never take matters into your own hands when you don't know the consequences of the arm of the law. You could have asked for help from your neighbors, church, relatives during the weekend until the utility company sent an employee to reconnect the service on the next business day.