But if you have a water leak you or your company will be paying for more than you actually use so it’s essential to keep on top of the maintenance of your pipework and appliances. If you suspect your water bill is too high it might be because you have a water leak or overflow.
Here are our top tips for identifying a water leak.
- Underground leaks can go unnoticed for longer as it’s harder to detect them. The signs of an underground leak include soggy areas of ground, particularly in your garden, pools of water, sink holes or flourishing spots of grass or vegetation during dry summer spells.
- To check if you have a water leak indoors then make sure all your appliances which use water are switched off but leave the internal stop tap open. Take a meter reading before leaving everything switched off for a period of time – overnight is the best time when household activity is minimal. If there’s a significant change in activity overnight then it’s likely you have a leak. Check all your appliances and internal pipe joints for cracks or damage, such as your shower head and pipe connection and the pipes under your sink.
- Check your water meter – the majority of water meters are usually fitted outside near your home’s water stop valve. You will need to look for a small plastic or metal cover, usually located by the roadside, in your garden or on a nearby footpath. You will only need to read the black numbers on the screen and submit them to your supplier, either over the phone or online. They will be able to measure your water usage and gage whether it has increased uncharacteristically.
- One of the main hotspots for a leak will be your bathrooms so switch off the supply to each toilet individually and see if the red meter reading numbers continue to rise.
- Check your outside taps – hose-bibs are the pipes you attach your garden hoses to and most homes have at least one in the back garden. Listen carefully for any hissing or dripping noises to see if the pipe is leaking.
