Black Friday is all about big deals and even bigger savings, but Severn Trent is reminding customers not to let the day go down the drain. 

The water company is urging shoppers to keep their plumbing in check and avoid turning a day of discounts into a ‘Block Friday’ disaster. 

While the tills are ringing Severn Trent is asking everyone to take a moment to think about what’s going down their sinks and toilets. Because flushing the wrong things could lead to costly blockages, and that’s one deal nobody wants.

Winter can be a tricky time for homes, and Severn Trent wants to help customers with everything from burst pipes to blocked drains, with tips to keep homes running smoothly and bills from overflowing. 

Grant Mitchell, Severn Trent’s Blockages Lead, said: “Black Friday should be all about bagging bargains, not battling blockages. We want customers to enjoy the savings, not spend them on plumbing repairs. 

“That’s why we’re encouraging everyone to think twice before they flush or pour things down the loo and sink because what goes down doesn’t just disappear, it can cause real trouble underground. 

“We’ve seen everything from wet wipes to cooking fat wreak havoc on our sewer systems, and it’s not a pretty sight. A blocked pipe can quickly turn into a burst pipe, and that’s a mess no one wants to mop up, especially during the festive season.

“Our teams are here to support customers with practical advice, from keeping the 3Ps in mind in the bathroom, to binning the grease in the kitchen. Let’s make this Friday a win for wallets and our network and not a drain on either.” 

Last year alone, Severn Trent cleared nearly 30,000 blockages, many caused by items that should never have gone down the loo or sink. 

They also removed 20 million litres of fats, oils and greases (FOG) from the sewers, which is enough to fill six Olympic-sized swimming pools! 

Top tips to keep the home flowing freely include:

In the Bathroom: 

• Fix leaky loos, taps and showers and report issues easily via the Vyn platform.

• Only flush the 3Ps: pee, poo and paper. Everything else belongs in the bin, not the bowl! 

In the Kitchen:

• Wipe plates and pans with kitchen roll to soak up grease before washing. 

• Pour cooled fats, oils and grease into a container and bin it - not down the sink.

Severn Trent is calling on customers to team up and take action because together, we can avoid turning Black Friday into a plumbing nightmare. 

For more tips on how to prepare your home for winter, visit www.stwater.co.uk/my-supply/wintertogether