If your water bills are higher than usual -- for no apparent reason -- it's time to do a little household investigating to see if you have a leak. First, turn off all appliances that use water -- washing machine, ice-maker, dishwasher -- all the usual suspects. Then make sure no one uses any water for at least an hour. That means no sinks or faucets, inside or out, and no toilet flushes. Check the reading on your water meter. After one hour, check it again. If it hasn't moved, there are no leaks. If it has, check each fixture, faucet and appliance, one by one. If you still can't find the leak, call a plumber. It could be anything from a costly underground leak outside your home to a nasty hidden leak within a wall or under a floor. Left unattended such a leak could result in serious structural damage over a period of time. So, take a little time to get to the bottom of your rising water bill. And that's the On The House tip for today.