A Chingford man became the 250,000th person to receive a visit to help save money on his water bills.

Thames Water representatives visited Douglas Broom's house in Chingford last Wednesday- installing several free water-saving devices and fixed a leaky toilet.

The visit was part of the company's Smarter Home project, aimed at helping customers save money on their water bills and to protect the environment.

Mr Broom said: “The visit was really useful and I think everyone should have one. Jordan from Thames Water explained everything clearly and it’s great we’ll now save money on our bills thanks to the devices he fitted to our taps and showers.

"It’s important we all reduce how much water we’re using to protect the environment and keep our rivers healthy.”

The project comes as fears over the effects of climate change and rises in population could lead to future water shortages.

Thames Water has predicted there will be a shortfall of 350 million litres of water a day by 2045.

It is estimated the devices and simple behaviour changes, like turning off the tap when brushing your teeth, could save over 50,000 litres of water a year for an average family, with fixing a leaky-loo saving between 200 and 400 litres every day alone.

By installing smart meters and associated programmes such as its smarter home visits, Thames Water plans to reduce the consumption of water from 142 litres per person per day to 136 litres by 2025.

Nicci Russell of Waterwise, said: “It’s fantastic that Thames Water has helped people in a quarter of a million homes be more water-efficient, fixing leaky loos and installing smart meters. We all have a part to play in making sure the water we have is shared fairly – and we’re already seeing the impacts of climate change and a growing population.”

If you live in Waltham Forest and are interested in the scheme, you can book a visit by calling 0800 622 6623.

Customers in Waltham Forest can book a smarter home visit by calling 0800 622 6623 or emailing london.shv@groundwork.org.uk