MILLIONS of households gearing up to cook a turkey this Christmas have been issued a warning.
Coating your poultry or other festive meat in fats and oils will keep it moist and tasty.
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But you could cause some serious damage by getting rid of any excess liquid in the wrong way.
Now one water company is urging households to dispose of their grease and oil correctly.
Yorkshire Water has warned fats, oils and greases poured down the kitchen sink can block pipes, causing sewage to spill out and even create fatbergs.
The company, which serves nearly two million households, has urged people to let hot fats and oils cool until they are solid and then put them in the bin instead.
Miles Cameron, regional manager, said: “You do tend to see an accumulation of fats more at Christmas time, cooking on a larger scale with families around.”
Ryan McPherson, a Yorkshire Water worker, added his team found fat, oils and grease in their network “quite a lot” around the Christmas period.
“This is what we have to deal with, it solidifies and sets further downstream, which causes us issues,” he said.
Not only does pouring any excess cooking liquids down the drain cause problems for water companies, it can create major issues for homeowners as well.
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A blocked sink can lead to calling out a plumber or drainage specialist.
And according to checkatrade, it costs around £75 to call out a plumber and then £60 to £90 to get a drain “rodded”.
This is where steel rods are inserted into the blocked drain to dislodge any solid fats or food.
But you could always try unblocking the drain yourself, either with a coat hanger or plunger.
For more information on how to unblock a drain, you can read our guide here.
Meanwhile, Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert has revealed how water customers can get hold of pipe-saving gadgets this winter.
Plus, we explain how Christmas bin collection works.
