Stop taps often get stuck and if this happens during a cold spell when pipes are likely to freeze and burst, damage to your property and the cost of repairs can be dire.

A water survey carried out by WaterSafe on 2000 British homeowners showed that most of us (63%) don’t check our stop tap is it’s working each winter.

WaterSafes’ Director, Julie Spinks says:“Knowing the location of your internal stop tap is essential but it’s just as important to double-check that it won’t be stuck fast in an emergency.

“Taking the time to test it before colder weather sets in will give you peace-of-mind this winter. But take care – if you over tighten or use excessive force you may damage the stop tap.

“Talk to an approved plumber if you need help, just use the watersafe.org.uk postcode search to find one near you.”

Checkout watersafe.org.uk/winter for more info.