What counts as a genuine plumbing emergency?
A burst pipe, uncontrolled leak, total loss of heating in cold weather with vulnerable occupants, or a leak near electrics are the situations that usually justify an emergency call-out rather than a routine booking.
Genuine emergencies are the ones where waiting causes real damage or risk: water that won't stop, or a heating failure affecting someone vulnerable in cold weather. A suspected gas smell is a different category entirely - that should always go to the National Grid gas emergency line first, never to general plumbing, with any follow-up work carried out only by a Gas Safe registered engineer. A dripping tap or a slow-running drain, while annoying, can usually wait for a scheduled visit.
burst pipe repair
What should I do before the plumber arrives?
Turning off the water at the stopcock, switching off any affected electrics at the consumer unit, and moving anything valuable away from the affected area are the main things worth doing while waiting.
If water is escaping, the stopcock - usually under the kitchen sink, in a utility room, or near where the mains enters the property - is the fastest way to stop it getting worse. If water is anywhere near sockets, switches or a fuse board, switching off the relevant circuit at the consumer unit is a sensible precaution. Photographing the damage as it happens is also useful, both for insurance purposes and to help whoever attends understand the situation before they arrive.
Is out-of-hours plumbing more expensive?
Emergency and out-of-hours call-outs are typically priced higher than a routine daytime booking, reflecting UK-wide benchmarks rather than a fixed Worthing rate.
UK-wide cost guides put emergency or out-of-hours call-outs at an average of around £178, with a typical range of £131 to £245, often made up of a call-out fee plus a higher hourly rate for antisocial hours. This is a UK-wide benchmark, not a Worthing-specific quote, and the actual cost for any job depends on what's actually wrong. Ask for a clear description of what's included in any quoted call-out fee before work starts.
