British drivers living in certain parts of the UK will be banned from washing their cars as hosepipe ban rules are introduced. Drivers living in Yorkshire and parts of the South East are affected as restrictions come into place due to hot weather this week.
Yorkshire Water introduced their hosepipe ban on July 11, with five million customers thought to be affected across North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire & East Riding of Yorkshire. Meanwhile, last week, South East Water confirmed that some of their customers in Kent and Sussex would face a ban from July 18. Finally, on Monday Thames Water said that some postcodes in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Berkshire will also face a ban from July 22.
Using a household hosepipe to wash a vehicle while a ban is in place is strictly not allowed, meaning road users have to be careful to abide by the rules.
Insurance experts at Saga explained: “Usually, a hosepipe ban means you will not be allowed to use a hosepipe or sprinkler system for jobs like watering the garden, washing your car, pressure washing your patio or filling ponds, paddling pools and hot tubs.”
When asked whether using a hosepipe was allowed, specialists at Pete Barden stressed road users were not allowed.
They said: “You are not permitted to use a hosepipe to wash your car – unless it is connected to a water butt that would be expected to collect contents through rainwater – and not the mains.”
The experts said that road users are also not allowed to use a jet washer if it is connected to a mains-fed housepipe. However, Pete Barden explained there were some exemptions in place allowing road users to wash their vehicles under certain conditions,
According to the specialists, those with a commercial vehicle such as a taxi or hearse used for funerals can still use their hosepipes to wash their car as usual.
The rules don’t apply to any hosepipes that are fed by a private borehole or artificial lake or pond that road users own themselves. Meanwhile, the rules state that road users can use a bucket and a sponge to wash their car if they fill it with bathwater.
Companies are also exempt, meaning professional car wash services will remain open throughout the hosepipe ban. Water companies claim that a hosepipe ban can reduce water consumption by as much as 10%.
However, breaking a hosepipe ban and soaking a car in the hot weather could backfire with hefty fines in place. Motorists have previously been warned they could be charged up to £1,000 if they are caught breaching the rule.