Calling out a plumber or electrician during a public holiday to fix that burst pipe or spluttering boiler could end up breaking the bank, a new survey warns.

Emergency repairs have led Brits to pay out £49 million in call-out fees over the course of their lifetime, according to research from Direct Line home insurance.

Over one in ten people have had to call out a tradesperson during peak times, often landing themselves with bills in excess of £100.

Four in ten trade workers said they automatically added a £25 call-out fee for work carried out during public holidays in addition to 31 per cent charging double their normal rate and a further 48 per cent on time and a half.

A third of homeowners consequently end up paying more than £50 an hour for plumbers or electricians with six per cent forced to fork out over £100 an hour.

London is the most expensive place to call out the professionals with hourly rates reaching £76.47. Those in Wales and Yorkshire get the best deal paying £20.20 and £17.70 respectively.

But to avoid getting out of pocket, around a third of people say they would rather put up their household emergency until after the holiday period ended rather than pay peak prices.

Andrew Lowe, head of home insurance at Direct Line, said: "Household emergencies don't limit themselves to happening nine to five, Monday to Friday, and hiring a tradesperson out of hours or during public holidays can be incredibly expensive - if you can find one."