News

Ahead of what is forecast to be a cold and frosty winter, Severn Trent is encouraging households and businesses to wrap their pipes before temperatures start to dip.

The water company is advising its customers to take steps to insulate unheated pipes in lofts and to cover external taps to prevent them from bursting in freezing temperatures.

Howard Perry, Energy Manager at Severn Trent, said: “Extreme temperatures, snow and ice can cause huge problems for household water pipes so, before the winter weather hits us, we’re helping customers to understand how they can look after their home’s pipes.

“Many people don’t realise that as water freezes within a pipe it expands, putting pressure on joints which can result in splits or pulling joints apart.

“People should take precautions now, and lagging pipes is actually a really easy and cheap job to do. Lagging helps to insulate them and can potentially save thousands of pounds as bursts are not only devastating, but messy and expensive to fix.

“We don’t want our customers to gamble on it being a mild winter this year. We want to help people understand what they can do to avoid any issues when it gets colder.”

Howard added that Severn Trent is helping customers find reliable WaterSafe certified plumbers ahead of the winter months and are providing support to vulnerable customers through a specialised team.

To support homeowners and businesses, Severn Trent is providing information on its website where people can learn how to lag pipes, the key things to look out for, and how to fit external tap guards. The website also includes information on how to find a stop tap outside a home or business.

The site is available through https://www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/winter-ready/