Pulling the plug on the rogue plumber

The average cost to put right shoddy plumbing work is £285, 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.

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 more than 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,” Julie added.

For more advice on helping pull the plug on rogue plumbers, and how to tell if a plumber is qualified, visit watersafe.org.uk/advice/hiring_a_plumber.

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