Customers in the East of England could be losing as much as £49 million a year on average as a result of leaking toilets.
On average, a leaky loo wastes between 215 litres and 400 litres of clean drinking water every day – equivalent to having a couple of extra people in the home using water.
That’s around an additional £246 a year on average on a metered water bill that could be saved by fixing the leak, according to Anglian Water.
The East of England is still in a drought with reservoir levels, underground water stores and rivers all still below average for this time of the year.
Anglian Water is encouraging customers to take three simple steps to check if their loo is unknowingly leaking – wipe the back of the bowl with toilet paper so it’s dry (but don’t flush), after 30 minutes, place a new, dry sheet of tissue across the back of the bowl and return in a few hours and if the paper is wet or torn, the loo is leaking.
Pete Holland, Anglian Water’s Director of Customer and Wholesale Services said: “Having a water meter remains the best way of keeping bills affordable as customers only pay for what they use. But leaks in the home means water and money, down the drain. We know this year is going to be tough for our customers, as the cost-of-living increases for us all.
“Although pipes inside the property are the responsibility of the homeowner, we’re here for our customers if they need support. Once a leak in the home is fixed, we’ll also give money back to cover the costs of the excess water used as a result of the leak through our leakage allowance.”
Anglian Water customer Hannah Holloway-Vine is said to have potentially saved from paying “hundreds of pounds” caused by a leaking toilet after a letter from the water company prompted her to check her home for leaks.
She was contacted after her latest water meter reading showed her water consumption had significantly increased.
Hannah added: “I thought my toilet had a bit of a trickle but I hadn’t realised how much additional water this was using up. I was really worried that my next bill would be almost un-payable as the new reading showed my monthly water bill would more than double, from £33 to £69 per month.”
