Customers dreading the arrival of the seven per cent hike in UK-wide water bills announced by water regulator Ofwat last month can cut their personal spend by fixing leaky pipes, Halifax Home Insurance has revealed.

Leaky pipes affect 3.3 million households in the UK, making water bills much steeper than if you paid for the water you actually used.

Meanwhile, household appliances are major culprits of water wastage – washing machines are to blame for 14 per cent of water down the drain, while leaking baths account for seven per cent.

Across the UK, 230 million litres of water is wasted every year, the equivalent to 2.9 million baths, and just leaving taps running wastes the equivalent of 7,876 baths each day.

Getting these problems fixed is a vital step to saving yourself money, Halifax urges, and it also saves on the cost of home repairs, with water damage costing Britons £1.8 billion every year.

To learn more about cutting your bills, click here.

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