When frozen water pipes burst, hundreds of litres of water can cascade through ceilings, causing extensive and costly damage to buildings and furniture.
Dave Williams, Southern Water's regional distribution manager, said, "Burst water pipes not only cause a huge amount of damage and misery, they can also result in lots of water going to waste.
"We are urging all our customers to take precautions such as making sure taps are turned off and pipes are lagged to help prevent pipes freezing and bursting.
"If you are going away for the holiday season think about leaving the central heating on low. Some of these steps will take just a small amount of time and could save a whole lot of misery."
Southern Water can also suffer from burst pipes during the winter but has dedicated teams which detect leaks and carry out repairs on water mains.
Any customer who wishes to report a leak should telephone Southern Water's leakline on 0800 820 999.