A new survey by water supplier Affinity Water has found that the UK is potentially wasting £697 million on water bills annually due to leaks within homes. This amounts to 900 million litres of clean drinking water daily – equivalent to filling Wembley stadium, or supplying water to another one million people a week.

The survey also found that one in five people leave home leaks for four weeks or more before getting them fixed. Almost one third (32%) of those with a leak have put off fixing it due to how much they think it will cost to repair them, while 33% had other home repair jobs they deemed more critical, and 28% didn’t know a reliable plumber to ask for help.

Over two thirds (68%) of the nation have had a leak in their home, but the majority (55%) don’t know how to check their toilet or tanks for leaks, which are responsible for the biggest water loss.

To help us save money and reduce waste, Affinity Water has offered five top tips on how to identify leaks in the home and when to call in the experts:

• 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 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.

For all your plumbing and installation needs, feel free to contact the team at AACooper on 01689 485007 or info@aacooper.co.uk – we’re happy to help.