7 On Your Side: Entire building in Harlem left with no gas

EAST HARLEM (WABC) -- Not being able to cook in the kitchen for any length of time can be difficult.

But some people living in a local apartment building say they've had to go a year without any working stoves.

They weren't getting any answers, so they turned to 7 on Their Side.

Comedienne Emma Willmann feels the joke's been on her and roommate.

For nearly a year, they've never been able to use their brand new oven.

"We have had no stove since October and it is now July," said Emma.

She thought progress was being made when new gas lines were put in 6 months ago. Only problem...

"The gas line to the electric stove wasn't hooked up," she adds.

And the electric stove has no plug. Management took them all. Turns out the building isn't equipped to power it.

Now, since last fall all 30 units in the East Harlem building are missing the necessity of a working stove.

Some, like Emma, have disabled electric stoves with disconnected gas meters in them.

"The most frustrating thing about not having a working stove is they won't give me answers coned won't give me answers management won't give me answers," said Rebecca Mercer.

So we called the building manager, EM management who said this stove situation was news to them.

Con Ed said it shut the building's gas off after discovering a leak last September, blaming the building managers for not fixing the problem and asking for an inspection until April.

Con Ed admitted it was delayed in sending inspectors out, but 24 hours after we contacted them, the utility had workers doing integrity tests on the gas lines.

And a day later the electric stoves were switched out - gas meters in, and they were finally cooking with gas.

"They weren't returning our calls they were playing dumb now we have a new stove so thank you 7 On Your Side," said Emma.

Con Ed apologized for the delay and the management company told us, the tenants will be given a rent reduction, to celebrate/