Don’t let cash leak by avoiding maintenance’

More than one-quarter of households are trying to avoid spending money on fixing, servicing and safety checking their household appliances until the worst happens and they are no longer able to use them. But new research from Gas Safe Register has found that failing to carry out essential home maintenance jobs means that households are losing an average of £1,885 per job in ‘cash leaks’.

The survey of 2,000 homeowners found that one in five said they had avoided tackling regular home maintenance tasks, and this ended up costing more in the long run. Top of the list was fixing a leaking toilet (25 per cent) which, according to Checkatrade, can cost £40-£60 per hour to repair versus an emergency call-out fee of £100-£120 – but could lead to £2,633 on average, if the leak is severe.

This was followed by having gas appliances serviced and safety checked every year, which 21 per cent said they avoided. Checkatrade experts say the potential cost of leaving these and more issues unchecked could be more than £400 if there are problems, versus the average cost of servicing of around £100.

Households rise to lower flow temperature challenge

More than 210,000 households have taken up Nesta’s moneysaving boiler challenge, saving an average of £112 a year.

In October 2022, Nesta, the UK’s innovation agency, launched the Money Saving Boiler Challenge to inspire UK households to turn down their boiler flow temperature. The aim was to encourage people to use its online tool that takes them through the steps needed to turn their boiler flow temperature to 60°C or below.

In partnership with Which?,

EDF, Eon Next, Octopus Energy, OVO Energy, the Heating Hub, Energy UK and the National Residential Landlords Association, the campaign received the backing of Money Saving Expert and Martin Lewis, along with local authorities, housing associations and green groups across the UK. The tip also features in the government’s Help for Households campaign.

Since its launch, more 210,000 people have used the online tool, lowered their boiler flow temperature, saved around

More than 15 per cent of Brits who have experienced such ‘cash leaks’ say they have been left out of pocket by more than £5,000.

With spring being the traditional time to get maintenance jobs done, Gas Safe Register has worked with TV presenter and financial adviser Emmanuel Asuquo to warn homeowners of the false economy as well as safety implications of not tackling maintenance jobs.

Emmanuel says: “More than ever, people are looking for ways to save money with the ongoing cost of living crisis. I’ve teamed up with Gas Safe Register to help households be confident with the simple ways they can save money around the home.

“And by following all the tips to avoid ‘cash leaks’ in your home this spring, you can accumulate savings of £495 a year in household cash – more than enough to cover your annual gas safety check, which is on average £80-£100. The costs can be high if repairs or replacements are needed, but you can’t put a price on the health and safety of your loved ones.”

The survey found that almost half (45 per cent) of homeowners are likely to try to find a makeshift solution to a home maintenance issue rather than call on an expert tradesperson.

Gas Safe Register is urging households to always use a registered professional for any gas and plumbing work. Tackling these jobs unqualified can invalidate home insurance and warranties, leaving people significantly out of pocket if something goes wrong, as well as putting them at risk of injury or worse.

£22 million off energy bills and 34,000 tonnes of CO2 per year (an average saving of £112 and 173kg of CO2 per household).

In February 2023, the Office of National Statistics reported that 27 per cent of people turned down their flow temperature in the previous month, up from 11 per cent last year.

Nesta says nearly half of those who saw its ads took an action towards boiler optimisation, reflecting that households are looking for ways to make their heating work more efficiently.

• You can show your customers how they can reduce their flow themselves at: www. moneysavingboilerchallenge. com