Each month, we’ll share ways we can support you or your loved ones, helpful tips to save money and water, updates on how we’re adapting to climate change, what we're doing to improve our service to you, and all the other activities we do as a water company.
Steps to protect your home
1. Wrap up your pipes.
When water freezes and turns to ice, it expands which can cause pipes to burst. We recommend you cover all water pipes where possible, including the pipes outside your home, with a foam tube called lagging. You can order some from us for FREE, just click the button below.
It's also available from most DIY stores and is easy to fit. Just measure how much you need and cut with scissors to fit. Remember to use waterproof lagging for any outdoor pipes.
2. Bleed your radiators
Trapped air causes radiators to have cold spots, reducing how well they work. Release the air by bleeding your radiators. It’s simple to do yourself using a radiator key or a flat-headed screwdriver.
Slowly turn the radiator valve anti-clockwise until water starts dripping out. It's useful to have a cloth to hand to catch any dribbles!
Putting reflective foil behind your radiators will reflect heat into the room, warming your home efficiently too.
3. Be prepared
Find your stop tap and test it works, as you may need to turn your water off quickly if your pipes freeze or burst. This is our guide on how to find your stop tap.
Most stop taps are under the kitchen sink or in the cupboard under your stairs. Write down the name and number of a qualified plumber so you can find it quickly in case you need it in an emergency. We have a handy tag you can place around your stop tap.
4. Protect your outside tap
Once you’ve lagged your outdoor water pipes, don’t forget to protect your outside taps too. They’re also prone to freezing, which could lead to a burst.
You can get a tap jacket for your outside taps for FREE from us, just click the button below.
Keeping your gutters clear will prevent water being clogged and freezing, which may lead to leaks in your roof. Also, disconnecting your garden hose will also ensure water cannot freeze in the hose pipe, bursting the hose or be forced back into your pipes, causing a leak.
5. Fix dripping taps
All water can freeze, so even a small drip could freeze and cause a burst.
A dripping tap might not also seem like much, but it could be wasting up to 5,500 litres of water a year!
We can help you find a qualified plumber, just click the button below.
Customers with additional needs
We know steps such as these may seem simple to most, but for our customers with additional needs, especially if you have mobility issues, things are a little trickier. Perhaps you have a family member, friend or neighbour who could help you with some of these steps?
What to do if your pipes freeze, burst or leak
For leaks, bursts or frozen pipes:
1. The first step is always to turn off the water at your stop tap. Stop taps are generally found under the kitchen sink, under the stairs or outside your house.
For frozen pipes:
2. Carefully thaw using warm towels or a hairdryer. Start nearest to the tap and work down. Never use a naked flame to thaw a pipe.
For bursts:
2. You may also need to turn off the electricity if water runs near any electrical appliances.
3. Once your stop tap is off, turn on all the taps in the house to drain the system. Put towels down to soak up as much water as possible.
4. Call a qualified plumber. Click the button below to find a list of approved plumbers in your area.
5. Once it’s repaired, don’t forget to turn all the taps off in the house, before turning the stop tap back on.
For leaks, if you are on a meter:
2. Once your stop tap is off, turn on a tap inside the house to check that the water is off.
3. Find your water meter to take a reading. They are usually outside, in the pavement or just inside the boundary of your property.
4. After 30 minutes – 1 hour, take another reading. If the meter reading has changed, water could be leaking externally.
5. If the reading doesn’t change, turn your taps off in the house, and turn the stop tap back on.
6. Don’t use any water for 30 minutes – 1 hour, and then take another reading. If the meter reading has changed, water could be leaking internally.
7. If you find a leak call a qualified plumber. Click the button below to find a list of approved plumbers in your area.
8. Let us know if you find a leak via My Account.(opens in a new tab)
For leaks, if you are not on a meter:
If you are not on a meter and you think you have a water leak, please contact us.
Our Social Tariff caps your drinking water bill, which we are responsible for. As we bill on behalf of your waste water supplier, the tariff will also include a discount on the waste water part of your bill.
You would qualify for this tariff if your yearly household income is less than £18,725, excluding any disability and housing payments you may receive.
If your yearly household income is over £18,725 but less than £22,020 and your waste water provider is Southern Water, you may be able to get a discount on the waste water part of your bill. Please contact us to apply for this, the details are below.
You can find out who your suppliers are by visiting Water UK's website(opens in a new tab).
We also offer lots of other tariffs that might better suit you. You can find information on all our tariffs here.
If you think the social tariff is right for you, have any questions or you qualify for the Southern Water discount, please get in touch. You can call us on 0800 952 4000(opens in a new tab) (Monday to Friday between 8 am to 7 pm) or click the button below to contact us via My Account.
Our Social Tariff