Water leaks ''a bane of Britain''

Water leaks are costing Brits around £1.8 billion every year with some 17 million Brits affected by them in the last five years, according to new research.

Halifax Home Insurance has found that 3.3 million households are affected each year by leaking washing machines, baths and burst water pipes but that much of the damage is caused by human error where people forget to turn off their own taps.

Water flowing out of taps like this wastes about 630,137 litres of water every day which could fill over 7,000 baths.

Vicky Emmott, from the insurance firm, 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."

She added that there are other problems to consider for older properties such as corroding pipe works and longer working hours meaning problems go undetected for much longer.


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