MM wrote:
On Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:18:56 +0100, The Medway Handyman
wrote:

On 20/08/2012 18:53, MM wrote:
Came back at least two hours later to find I'd forgotten to turn off
the garden hose after watering the plants, then going shopping. It
was only on at a moderate flow -- more than a trickle, but
significant. I've just read the meter under the pavement and worked
out (extrapolating from my previous bill) how much has gone. The
estimated reading for 20/Aug/12 based on past consumption should be
446. The actual reading is 448.68, so I've wasted over 2.5m³, which
is a heck of a lot. So I'm planning on emergency measures like
all-over washes instead of baths for the next three months.

But as I get older and more forgetful, is there a gadget I can fit
to either turn off the tap automatically or warn if it's left on?


Yup. Clockwork hose timer, adjustable up to 2 hours;

http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Land.../sd3226/p49191

Yes, I like the look of that one. And the price is not bad, either.

It would be cheaper to forget about the hosepipe once in a while.