Checking for leaks

Detecting and fixing leaks promptly can save water and prevent potential damage to your home. One of the easiest way to find a leak is by having a water meter.

1. Open the meter chamber by prising the lid off (you might need something like a flat screwdriver to help you) and then remove the polystyrene frost cover plus any water that’s collected in the chamber – a small sponge should do the trick.

2. Next, turn off the stop tap inside the meter chamber. To make sure you’re looking at the right meter, turn on a tap inside your property and let the water run. If no water comes out after a couple of minutes, it’s your meter.

3. Turn the stop tap back on and make a note – or take a photo – of the meter reading.

​4. Don’t use any water for the next hour and then take another meter reading.

• If the reading hasn’t changed – there’s no sign of a leak. If we’ve sent you a letter to say we think you’ve got a leak, give us a call on 0345 268 2065 (option 3, we’re here Monday to Friday 8am-5pm) and we’ll make a note on your account.
• If the reading has changed, then water’s escaping from somewhere and you’ll need to do the next few checks to narrow down where it might be.

1. Without using any water, turn off your internal stop tap (in most cases you’ll find yours under your kitchen sink or in the bathroom). If you can’t turn it you’ll need help from a plumber to get it fixed before you can carry on looking for the leak.

2. With your internal stop tap turned off, wait 30 minutes to an hour and take another meter reading.

• If the reading hasn’t changed, the leak is somewhere inside your home and you can see some easy to check places here.
•  If the reading has changed then the leak is somewhere between your internal stop tap and your water meter. To make sure the leak isn’t on your meter, give us a call on 03457 145 145 and we’ll arrange a time to pop out to do some extra checks.​