Halifax finds huge British spend on water leaks

Halifax Home Insurance has found that Brits are spending £1.8 billion a year to repair the damage to their homes caused by water leaks. Research from the insurer shows that nearly 17 million Brits have been affected by leaking water from dishwashers, washing machines, burst water tanks, pipes, showers and baths, with some 3.3 million households a year suffering this inconvenience.

Washing machines account for the most damage, affecting more than 5.2 million households (14 per cent). Showers affect 10 per cent of British households and are another major culprit. Leaking baths, burst pipes and human error are responsible for 7 per cent of leaks each. Some £130 million worth of damage is inflicted each year by Brits who forget to turn off taps. This avoidable error wastes about 630,137 litres of water every day. This amount of water could flush more than 84,000 toilets or could fill nearly 8,000 baths. Leaking dishwashers are responsible for 3 per cent of damage while burst hot and cold tanks account for 2 per cent each.

Water damage can be costly. Some 36 per cent of British homeowners do not have buildings insurance. The average water leakage incident costs £560 to put right while 60,000 Brits a year face bills of more than £10,000 after the devastation water has caused to their property. Halifax has urged homeowners to make regular checks of pipework and appliances for leaks and to make sure they turn taps off after use. Lagging pipes can help to prevent pipes from bursting through frost damage.

Vicky Emmott, senior underwriter at Halifax Home Insurance, said: ‘Changing fashions in the housing market have increased the likelihood of homes being damaged by leaking water. The trend for homes with multiple bathrooms and the current vogue for wet rooms have significantly increased the risk of water leaks and damage in the home.’