Britons fork out over £1.8bn per year to repair the damage caused by leaking water in their homes, according to new research from Halifax Home Insurance.
During the past five years leaking water from washing machines, dishwashers, burst water tanks, pipes, showers and baths have left the homes of nearly 17 million Britons in disarray - some 3.3 million households per year.
The two biggest culprits for causing water damage in the home are washing machines, which account for damage to more than 5.2 million households (14%) and showers (10%).
The company said Britons inflict an avoidable £130m worth of damage each year on themselves simply by forgetting to turn off taps - wasting some 630,137 litres of water every day.
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. Older properties are vulnerable as a result of corroding pipes, which face increasing strain as Britain endures ever more extreme fluctuations in temperature as a result of global warming. Long working hours in the UK would account for many leaks going undetected for a significant period of time.”
