In case of emergency: prices hiked 117%

In your hour of need, when you spring a leak in the early hours, or get back from a night out to discover a flood, you can count on a plumber. Unfortunately, you can also count on them to massively inflate the price of their services. A new study has revealed they will increase their charges by as much as 117% - and one plumber in the study charged £300 plus VAT per hour for emergencies

In emergency situations, you may be so grateful that they come quickly that you don't think to check their charges in detail, but this could be an expensive mistake. The study, by Direct Line, found that it's not safe to ask about the usual hourly fee, because 48% of plumbers inflate the fee for anti-social hours. The average premium is 112% on the usual hourly rate.

Charges

You also need to make sure that this reflects what you'll actually be paying, because there are a couple of alternative ways to structure the way they charge - which can distort the price dramatically.

Almost half of all plumbers charge an initial call-out fee, followed by an hourly rate. The call-out charge is usually higher than a typical hour (and in some cases can be five times higher) - so if you've only asked about the hourly charge you could be in for a shock.

Alternatively, they may operate on the basis of a minimum charge. The study used the example of a plumber in Caterham who has an hourly rate of £25 plus VAT - but a minimum charge of £150 plus VAT for each job - so you're being charged for the equivalent of six hours even if they are finished in 20 minutes.

Morgan Simpson, Direct Line Home Emergency Response Manager, commented: "If you don't have emergency cover with your insurer, there is the temptation to call the first plumber you can find, but you may discover even if the hourly rate quoted is low they have an expensive minimum call out rate or emergency call out surcharge."

The study was released to highlight the insurer's emergency plumber cover (which covers the first £500). Clearly they have a vested interest in highlighting the potential costs, but they make an excellent point.

What can you do

Emergency cover is one option, but it's not the only one. One vital step is to find the stopcock in your house, so if you have a leak, you have the option of turning the water off, catching the leak until water stops escaping, and then calling a plumber during normal working hours.

Smaller leaky pipes can be turned off using isolation valves next to the appliance or tap concerned - so get to know what you have and where it is. On a combination boiler, the isolation valve will be located underneath.

It's also sensible to do the legwork in finding out-of-hours plumbers before an emergency strikes. You can contact local firms for a quote, and investigate their reputation online - check whether people are complaining about unexpected charges or a plumber that doesn't turn up. It's worth asking family and friends for recommendations too.

Then make a list of the cheapest three with good service and a 24-hour emergency option, so that when you're hit with a disaster late on a Sunday night, you already have a plan in place - and one that won't cost a fortune.

There's no denying that if you have an emergency at an unfortunate hour, it could still end up costing you a packet, but at least this way you will avoid the worst overcharging excesses of the industry.