Storm insurance costs hitting the roof

The roofs of up to 1.5 million homes in the UK have been hit by storms in the past year, costing consumers £4.5 billion in repairs, according to insurance experts.

Research from Halifax Home Insurance shows that the average cost of repairing wind damage has risen to £2,800, which equates to 12 per cent of the average British salary.

Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at Halifax Home Insurance, said: “Homeowners without adequate buildings insurance cover risk finding a huge hole blown in their finances by the cost of repairs.”

He added that the increasing number of incidents of extreme weather conditions, such as wind and flood, “make it more vital than ever for homeowners to take proactive steps to protect their financial and physical security before disaster strikes”.

Further findings from the firm reveal that the average affected house needs 127 tiles replacing, a figure which equates to more than 200 million across Britain.

Meanwhile a study in Germany predicts that financial losses incurred by bad weather could rise to 37 per cent in the UK.

Tags: huge hole, security, storms, disaster strikes, adequate buildings insurance, year