23 September 2011

Home insurance: British families prepare houses for winter

Autumn has started and with the arrival of cold, home insurance companies advise Brits to check over their houses to avoid the risks related to the winter seaso

Autumn has started and with the arrival of cold, home insurance companies advise Brits to check over their houses to avoid the risks related to the winter season.

The Association of British Insurers said that bad weather last winter in the UK caused up to 1.4 billion claims for snow, ice and water damage.

Indeed, winter is more likely to cause more home-related problems than warmer seasons, especially regarding the weather conditions that come with it such as heavy rain, snow, ice or high winds.

That is why the AA Home Insurance has pointed out to clients that Hurricane Katia, for example, caused an estimated £100m of property damage, and reminded them about the vulnerability of homes to the weather.

"While it's hard to prevent damage in a storm as severe as Katia, a few simple checks and repairs can mean the difference between a distressing claim for weather damage and surviving the winter in comfort,” commented Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance.

Insure your home this winter

As measures of safety, the home insurance company advises Brits to check over the potentially dangerous parts of their houses to avoid accidents.

It's important to check that no branches from nearby trees could break a window in strong winds or that the state of gutters and downpipes is good – while in the autumn they can become blocked with leaf fall and debris; in winter this can freeze and cause overflow.

Despite the risks of winter, Simon Douglas from AA Home Insurance said that the insurance industry generally reckons that a third of Britain's homes have no insurance and of those that do, a third are under-insured.

In relation to this, recent figures by a leading comparison site revealed that paying for home insurance via monthly instalments could add an extra 10% to the cost of your original home insurance price.

Therefore, it is important to compare home insurance premiums and try to save money on this service. Using our energy comparison service can help to save money too, especially considering the recent price hikes on energy utilities.