PEOPLE are being urged to regularly check water meters after an elderly couple faced a £5,418 bill when a leak went undetected.
Nora King, 81 and her husband Dennis, 83, of Kenmar Road, Laceby, had no idea one of the pipes under their home had been leaking, as there was no sign of damage.
They paid their bill as normal in July last year, but when their next quarterly bill failed to arrive, Mrs King contacted Anglian Water, who sent someone out to check why.
The pipe was repaired on October 24, but the couple claim they still didn't receive a bill, despite repeated calls to Anglian Water.
On Monday, March 18, two bills arrived at once – one for July 14, 2012, to October 8, 2012, for £3,926.
The second, which included the "arrears" from the first bill and further charges for the period from October 12, 2012, to January 2013, was for £5,418.34.
Mrs King, who believed the pipe was the responsibility of Anglian Water, said: "We cannot afford to pay that. It is not our fault if the pipe isn't properly fixed.
"We cannot check our meter ourselves; we're both in our 80s.
"We may be able to get down there to look at it, but it's the getting back up again that's the problem!"
Anglian Water said as the pipe was within the boundaries of the King's home, it was up to them to maintain it.
A spokesman said: "Maintenance and repair of private supply pipes is the responsibility of the homeowner.
"Nevertheless, we fixed the leak to stop anymore water being lost. This was the third time we carried out a free repair.
"We do give customers a one-off leakage allowance, which means they do not have to pay for water lost in this way. Unfortunately, the Kings had already been given their allowance for a previous leak."
The firm has agreed to charge for the period of the leak at a lower rate than their usual tariff, reducing the bill to £3,620.
He added: "Of course this is still a lot of money to pay. The last thing we want is for them to worry and we will be in touch to discuss their bill."
He also urged the Kings – and other customers – to check their household insurance, to see if they are covered for costs incurred due to leaking pipes on their property.
Top tips to save water Remember to turn off the tap while brushing your teeth – A running tap can use up to 6 litres a minute, so by turning off the tap you could save enough water for a nice soak in the bath once a week. Have a shower instead of a bath. A standard five minute shower uses less water than a bath. However, a power shower can use a third more than the average bath, so think about fitting a water efficient shower head or timer . Fit a Save-a-flush device to your toilet cistern, as about a third of drinkable water is flushed down the loo. Wait until you have a full load before using the washing machine. They use around 14 per cent of the water used in the home, so fill up or use the half-load button. The same goes for dishwashers. Keep a jug of water in the fridge so you don't have to run the tap to get a cold drink. Wash your vegetables in a bowl, not under a running tap, then use it to water the plants. Fix dripping taps promptly, as they can lose up to 4 litres of water a day. Get a water butt for the garden, then use the estimated 5,000 litres of rainwater you can collect a year to water your plants rather than a hosepipe.
