HOUSEHOLDS could be wasting as much as 900million litres of clean drinking water every day because of leaks – the equivalent of filling Wembley Stadium with water.
In fact, £697 million could be saved on water bills each year if leaks were repaired – £308.78 per household, data analysed by Affinity Water revealed.
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The water supplier commissioned research of 2,000 adults which revealed 68% have had a leak in their home.
But 55% don’t know how to check their toilet or tanks for leaks, which are the culprits for the biggest water loss.
One in five people leave home leaks for four weeks or more before getting them fixed, and 32% of those with a leak have put off fixing it due to how much they think it will cost to repair.
While 33% had other home repair jobs they deemed more critical, and 28% didn’t know a reliable plumber to ask for help.
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A separate poll of 250 plumbers found the top three home leaks plumbers tend to are pipes, toilets, and sink taps – and they fix 192 home leaks each on average, every year.
More than nine in 10 (93%) of plumbers agree a leak will get worse over time
While 83% of homeowners think it will just go away.
Seven in 10 plumbers say people who don’t contact them about a leak right away don’t think it’s that bad – and then it gets worse, according to the OnePoll figures.
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While 88% have had to repair a leak which a customer has tried to repair themselves but couldn’t, with 83% saying the customer made the leak worse.
Affinity Water has teamed up with Sarah Beeny to encourage the nation to identify leaks within the home and understand when it’s time to call in the experts to fix them.
She said: “Drips from a tap or the cistern on a loo don’t feel like much, but they all add up.
“The nation is wasting 900 million litres of clean water due to home leaks every day – that’s enough to supply water to one million people for a week.
“Every litre wasted matters. From leaky loos and faulty tanks to past their prime pipes, we can take small simple steps, which all add up to make a big difference to the volume of clean water currently being wasted.
“Let’s all work together to save this precious resource taking on the leaks that can also cause damage in a home.
“Protect your home, your bank account, and protect your environment – it’s a win, win, win.”
James Curtis, head of leakage at Affinity Water, added: “We have reduced our leaks by 15.8% in the last three years exceeding our target of 14%.
“We are also working with Government and the industry on how we can make the wider water infrastructure better.
“While we continue to take care of this, everyone can play their part to save water, save money on their bills, and together leave more water in the environment.
“Every litre lost matters, so we are on a mission to help the nation identify home leaks and understand when to call in the experts to fix them.”
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Top tips on how to identify leaks in the home and when to call in the experts:
- To identify a leak in the home, look out for damp patches, changes in water pressure, limescale build up, and changes to your plaster or wallpaper.
- If you have a water meter, turn off all water using appliances in the home, and check the meter to see if it is still moving. If the meter is moving, you may have a leak.
- Listen as well as look for signs when identifying a hidden leak. Noisy pipework, whether that’s in your tank or around your home, can be a sign. Try listening at night when your home is quiet.
- If you suspect a leak in your home, or have identified one, it’s important to get it sorted quickly. Don’t try to fix it yourself if you don’t know how. Call in a plumber to make sure it’s fixed properly.
- If the leak is big, turn off the internal stop tap, which will stop water running within your home and prevent any further damage until the plumber arrives.
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