The average cost to put right shoddy plumbing work is £285, according to a new survey by WaterSafe, the UK’s register of approved contractors working with drinking water.
The survey, which questioned 2,000 UK consumers, also revealed more than a quarter of people have employed a plumber who did not carry out the task properly. In most cases, they had to employ another plumber to fix the poor work.
Common problems included wrongly connected pipework, water tasting or looking unpleasant, water smelling off, or the work causing a water leak or damage. Although the average cost to put the work right was £285, in over a fifth of cases, it cost more than £300 to rectify the damage, and in some instances, more than £1,000.
Director of WaterSafe, Julie Spinks, said: “It’s alarming to hear that more than a quarter of people interviewed said the rogue installer they employed did not carry out the work properly.
“It gives reputable, qualified plumbers a bad name. It’s not just the inconvenience, but with the increased cost of living, having to then pay more to put things right is unacceptable.
“Unfortunately, anyone - regardless of qualifications or experience - can set up a plumbing business and I would urge households who need plumbing work done to use an approved contractor registered with WaterSafe and follow our advice for employing a professional. If a contractor is a member of WaterSafe, the customer can be reassured they are qualified, belong to an approved contractors’ scheme and carry Public Liability Insurance.”
For more advice on helping pull the plug on rogue plumbers and how to tell if a plumber is qualified to perform the work, visit watersafe.org.uk/advice/hiring_a_plumber. WaterSafe has also produced a film which can be viewed here: https://bit.ly/3MLOGo6
The WaterSafe register is promoted by all UK water companies and the drinking water regulators and was set up to help keep the UK’s drinking water safe in homes and businesses. WaterSafe-approved plumbers are all trained to meet the strict regulations for installing pipes and fittings which supply drinking water.
They will issue a Certificate of Compliance, stating their plumbing work complies with the regulations – giving customers a legal defence if something is later found to be wrong.
