£300m cost of severe weather

The extreme weather we have been experiencing here in the UK in recent months is estimated to have cost us a whopping £300 million.

Damage suffered by our homes during the severe storms has left many people counting the cost of repairs, particularly if they do not have home insurance.

Barclays Insurance has revealed that the number of households suffering storm damage increased by 158 per cent in January 2007, compared to the same period last year.

The bank has revealed that 60 per cent of all home insurance claims currently being logged are weather-related, with the average claim being for around £500.

Although people with insurance have to endure going through the process of having their house repaired, the real victims are those who are not insured and must fork out for repairs themselves.

“This [storm damage] is devastating enough for a family so it is some comfort to know that they have adequate insurance and will get the assistance they need to get things repaired and back to normal as quickly as possible,” said Mark Till from Barclays Insurance.

“The extremes we have experienced in the last two months have kept everyone on their toes. From an unseasonably mild Christmas to snow across the country in the last few weeks and everything in between… it’s no surprise that we have seen a huge increase in the number of claims being made for weather-related damage.”

It seems that the severe weather we have been seeing lately may become a part of life in the UK in future years so taking out a home insurance policy may be a wise move.

Tags: policy, Mark Till, Vehicle insurance, Mark, surprise