Merry Grease-mas: The fatty problem in pipes at Christmas

That’s right, this isn’t your usual Christmas dinner, this is a Christmas dinner made entirely out of fat and oil. 50 kilograms of it to be precise, the equivalent of the fat left behind from 250 Christmas dinners!¹

Working with food artist, Prudence Staite, we’ve created the first Christmas dinner made entirely out of fat. Featuring Prosecc-oil, a whole turkey, a yule log with the exact circumference of a drainpipe and pourable ‘cream’, made from a mixture of lard and oil.

If all of this sounds disgusting, it’s because it is, and it’s what gets poured down the drains by 19% of us!

The UK’s greasy habits

As almost 20% of us admit to pouring fat and oil down the sink, drains could be facing up to 8.5 million litres² this Christmas.

Nearly a third (28%) of these people said they would rather risk a blockage than deal with any mess associated with disposing of cooking oil and fats in the correct way.

Ease seems to be a main driver of pouring down the sink, as four in ten people (42%) say it’s quicker to throw it down the plughole with 38% admitting to just not knowing what else to do.

A blocked pipe would be the only thing to stop the habit for a whopping 49% of those admitting to pouring fats and oils down the sink!

Christmas is a big driver, with 16% saying they pour more oil down the drains during the holiday season.

One in ten (10%) say this has led to a blocked drain or pipe, with cooking fat or oil being the biggest culprit (52%).

For more than half (56%) of those effected, blocked drains were costly to repair with the national repair bill estimated to be £670 million³.

Be prepared for ‘Un-Bloxing Day’

Looking at previous years of callout data, we've found on the 27th December between 2021 and 2024 there’s a spike in call-outs for blockages of 31%, compared to the average across the Christmas period (25th-31st)⁴. So, we’ve coined the day ‘Un-Bloxing Day’ - when most will be looking to clear a backed-up pipe!

How to get rid of fat and oil to avoid blocked drains

Do not pour fat, oil or grease down the sink. It should never go down your plug hole because of how much we know it can contribute to blockages in your pipes.

You should always wait for the leftover liquid to solidify, or pour an even layer of flour over what's left to absorb the oil. Once it is done, it can be wiped out into the bin, or if set in a disposable container, this can also be discarded.

If you’re ever in doubt of what could be going down your sink if you opt to pour the fat and oil into it, just look at our big Grease-Mas Dinner as a reminder.

Take a look at some of the behind the scenes and making of the Grease-Mas Dinner below.

 

Save yourself the stress of facing a blocked pipe in the future with our plumbing and drainage cover.

Merry Grease-Mas, Grease Navidad and Season’s Greasings from all of us at HomeServe.

Methodology

1. According to estimates, the average Christmas dinner contains 190 g of fat, oil and grease. The ‘Grease-mas’ dinner was made from 50 kg of fat, oil and grease, which is 263 times the amount in a typical Christmas dinner.
2. According to a nationally representative sample amongst 2,000 UK adults in December 2025 commissioned by OnePoll.
3. According to a nationally representative sample amongst 2,000 UK adults in December 2025 commissioned by OnePoll. 17% of the UK adult population pay £72 on average to fix a blocked pipe during the month of December on average. According to latest ONS estimates, the UK adult population is 55,022,253, meaning 9,353,783 adults pay £72 on average to fix a blocked pipe, totalling £673,472,376 or over £670 million pound in total.
4. Based on internal data which shows the average number of plumbing call-outs between 2021 and 2024.