Think you have a leak on your supply?

As we have been in drought in some parts of our region, we’re offering to fix customer leaks on their individual supply pipework for free.

Is it a leak, or are you just using more water?

You may suspect you have a private leak because your bill is higher than normal. Although it's great to check, you should first make sure it's not because you're just using more water than normal.

Here are some things that may cause your bill to be higher than normal:

Have you been washing your hands more lately?
Have you had guests stay over who have used your shower or bath?
Are you watering your garden more than normal?
Have you had a new appliance installed that may be using more water?

See below information on how to check for a leak, what leaks we can't fix, and our online form which only takes a minute to fill out. Once you've filled out our online form, we’ll aim to call you back as quickly as possible. Please feel free to call us on 08005 878 979 to report the leak if it needs our urgent attention.

Our pipework

This consists of the water main, the large underground pipe which is usually found in the highway or road, and the communication pipe that runs from the water main to the boundary of the street. This pipe work is our responsibility.

Individual/joint pipework

This is the supply pipe that runs underground from the street boundary to the internal stop tap in your home. The joint pipework is both homeowners responsibility, the individual pipework is just your responsibility.

Your pipework and fittings

These are all of the pipes inside of your home. These pipes are your responsibility.

How to check for a leak if you're on a meter

Before you start, make sure you won’t need to use any water for 1 hour. You may also want a cloth to wipe your meter clean so that you can see all the numbers clearly.

If you are unable to carry out the leak check you may wish to ask a family member or neighbour to help you. If you can’t find anyone to help, call our helpline or complete the form at the bottom of this page and we’ll arrange for someone to come out and do this for you.

If your meter numbers have changed

If the numbers on your meter have changed, you’ll need to carry out a test to find out where it’s coming from so that we can work together to get it fixed.

Follow these simple steps to find out where it is located:

Turn off all taps and appliances
This time, you’ll need to find your internal stop tap and turn it anti-clockwise to the off position (to check it is off turn on your tap and no water should come out)
Read and note down all of the numbers on the dials of your meter
Wait for 1 hour without using any appliances and take another meter reading
You can now turn your stop tap back on by turning it clockwise, back to the on position.

Your leak location results

If the numbers on the meter dials haven’t changed, the leak is likely to be inside your home. If they have changed, the leak is likely to be on the pipe between your external meter and your internal stop tap.

Let us know where your leak is coming from by completing our leak form so that we can see how we might be able to help you with the cost of your repair.

If your meter numbers haven’t changed

If the numbers on the meter dials haven’t changed between each reading, you probably don’t have a leak. However, it may be worthwhile checking to see if you have a small leak that may not have shown up on your meter. To do this we’d recommend that you do another leak check overnight. Take a meter reading last thing at night and another first thing in the morning, just remember not to use any water, like flushing the toilet or turning the tap on to brush your teeth.

If there’s no change between each reading again, look at other reasons your bill may have increased:

More water being used than expected – guests staying, watering the garden, decorating
Payment plan changes
Previous bills were estimated meter reads that were under-estimated
A possible water leak on your underground supply pipe
Faulty plumbing , dripping taps or overflow
New appliances that use more water than expected

How to check for a leak if you're not on a meter

If you think you have a leak inside your property, let us know by completing our leak form so that we can see how we might be able to help you with the cost of your repair.

If you do not have a water meter you’ll need to look for signs of a leak which could include:

Damp patches within your home or driveway
Mould on ceilings and walls
A hissing or knocking noise coming from the pipes in your home

Who can help me fix my leak?

If you have a leak on your supply pipe the repair might be covered under your house insurance policy or your home emergency cover such as HomeServe. So, give them a call first to see how they can help.

If you don’t have insurance, a plumber will be able to help fix the leak for you. You can search for local approved plumbers using the handy WaterSafe tool or check out our list here.