What is a hidden leak?

 

A “hidden leak” means the loss of water resulting from an accidental, fortuitous and involuntary event: the breakage of a pipe downstream from the meter, pipework deterioration, corrosion, faults, freezing or similar.

The leak must occur in an underground part of the system, and in any case cannot be visible or detectable externally in a direct and obvious manner.

Hidden leaks include the loss of water due to the failure of water pressure systems for condominium users and the improper use of the supply by third parties (for example the theft of water).

CAP Group provides all of its clients, regardless of whether they have subscribed to the Hidden Leak Fund, with the minimum protection required by the ARERA Regulatory Authority in order to avoid the risk of customer's incurring onerous bills in the event of hidden leaks. 

For the part of the bill relating to sewerage and treatment, the entire excess usage compared to your average consumption will be refunded; whereas a 30% deductible calculated at full tariff rates for the aqueduct amount shall remain payable and the remaining 70% will be recalculated using a tariff equal to half of the base tariff in effect for your account.

 

Hidden leak Found 

In addition to the minimum protection required by law, CAP Group provides customers that subscribe to its Hidden Leak Fund with enhanced and improved protection in the event of increased usage caused by hidden leaks within their properties’ pipework.

In fact, the Hidden Leak Fund provides a discount equal to 70% of the volume of the leak, meaning the customer is only responsible for the 30% deductible. 

Therefore, if you subscribe to the Hidden Leak Fund, in the event of a leak you will only pay for 30% of the increased water usage, that is the usage that exceeds your account’s average consumption. 

Learn how to

1. Notify us as soon as possible

By calling our customer service at 800 428 428 or by sending an email to assistenza.clienti@gruppocap.it

We will check whether you have subscribed to the Leak Fund and are entitled to enhanced protection in addition to the minimum protection provided for by law.

2. Repair the leak

As soon as possible, within 60 days of the due date of the bill where the charges caused by the leak are invoiced.

3. Notify us the successful repair

Then request the activation of the fund using the leak report form, to which you must attach: the receipt/invoice of the expenses incurred or self-certification of the successful repair, if carried out without assistance from a professional; photos that confirm the presence of a leak and the subsequent repair, a photo of the meter reading after the repair (reading as at leak repair).

Send your form:

  • by email to the address: assistenza.clienti@gruppocap.it;
  • by fax to the number: 02 89520383;
  • by post, writing to CAP Holding S.p.A. - Hidden Leaks - via Rimini 38, 20142 Milan.
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Subscribe to the Fund

You can also subscribe to the fund by logging on to your personal area. If you have already activated online billing, the protection is free!

You can subscribe to the fund by completing and returning the subscription form to our offices, by fax, email or by post,

  • Branch

    go to the customer branch in Milan, Via Rimini 38.

  • FAX

    0289520289

  • Email

    write to fondoperdite@gruppocap.it

Leaks caused by the following are not covered:

 

- faulty taps, discharge systems, domestic appliances, water use systems, water softeners;

- damage occurring during repair work carried out by the customer, breakage of pipes caused by the customer or third parties;

- building, road or excavation work, earth moving and indirect consequential damages;

- visible plant (which is not underground or embedded in cement);

- wilful misconduct by the customer or as a result of pre-existing cases at the time of subscription to the fund and already known;

- gross negligence by the customer, in the event of a gross failure to comply with the obligations arising from the water supply contract;

- earthquakes and floods.

Any expenses relating to the detection and repair of the broken pipe which caused the leak and the costs for restoring the cement are also excluded from cover. 

The subscription fee is annual and is valid from 1 January to 31 December of each calendar year. The subscription to the fund renews automatically from year to year.

To cancel the subscription, you must write to CAP Holding S.p.A. - Sales Department – via Rimini 38 – 20142 Milan or send an email to fondoperdite@gruppocap.it at least 30 days before expiry. The cancellation will take effect from the first day of the year following the receipt of the notification.

The annual subscription fee is calculated using the average annual usage of the account in the year of subscription or renewal, according to the following usage brackets: 

  • for an average annual usage of between 0 and 200 cubic metres, the annual subscription amounts to €3; 
  • for an average annual usage of between 201 and 1,600 cubic metres, the annual subscription amounts to €8.50; 
  • for an average annual usage of between 1,601 and 6,400 cubic metres, the annual subscription amounts to €24;  
  • for an average annual usage of more than 6,400 cubic metres, the annual subscription amounts to €43;

 

The subscription fee is invoiced with a charge on the first bill after the date of subscription or annual renewal.

For subscriptions received between 1 June and 30 November, the annual subscription fee is halved. 

Protect your usage

You can also subscribe to the Hidden Leak Fund by logging on to your personal area. If you have already activated online billing, the protection is free!
Click here

Service Charter

Learn more about the protection offered by CAP in the Service Charter
Click here

Refunds and guidelines

Once the minimum protection provided for by ARERA decision 609/2021 has been applied, the Fund provides a discount equal to 70% of the volume of the leak which exceeds the historical average usage charged over the previous two years, meaning the customer is only responsible for the 30% deductible.

With regard to sewage and treatment services, a refund is applied for the amounts charged for usage which exceeds the historical average, as these services are not used.

In order to calculate the average usage charged over the previous two years, an average is calculated from the last actual reading prior to the detection of the leak and a previous reading taken at least 730 days prior.

In the event of a new account that has been open for less than two years, the average will be calculated using the historical average usage relating to the period from the account’s activation to the last actual reading prior to the detection of the leak, provided that this period is greater than 300 days.

In the event that the meter has been activated for a period of fewer than 300 days, that is in cases where it is not possible to refer to the historical average (for example in the case of a new account following a transfer or takeover of a supply), the annual consumption (CA) attributed to the account at the time of the activation of the supply will be used, that is the average consumption of a similar account.

In the event that, following a period of 200 days after the repair, the actual usage proves to be lower than that used for the calculation of the discount, it is possible, upon the customer's written request, to adjust the initial calculation.

For example

- Period affected by the leak = from the date of the last actual leak prior to that which detected the hidden leak to the date of the repair of the leak (reading as at leak repairUsage charged for the aforementioned period in the invoice = 180 cubic metres

- Historical average of usage applied to the same period = 100 cubic metres

- Excess usage arising from the leak = 80 cubic metres

- Volume covered by the Fund = 56 cubic metres

- Charge covered by the Fund = application of the tariffs in effect for the type of service and usage bracket to the volume covered by the Fund.

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