An update: Whirlpool sent out an engineer the day after my email to them. He filled out a report form and photographed it. I wasn't there but my husband was and he asked him what would be likely to happen and he said they would probably replace it. However, I got a letter today with the usual apologies about the inconvenience and all that. Then they say that the model came out in 2003 and I must have it since then (I didn't but can't prove it) and they have no record of them ever having to service it (true) so, in their opinion, I got very good value. As a conciliatory gesture, they offered a similar size and type hob to the one I had for 249e, which they say is a very substantial discount on the rrp, but I have seen it for 335e in Power City. There is still a strong smell of burnt plastic in the kitchen despite me washing the units,etc. It will have to be redecorated.