Insurer gives storm advice

As storms and high tides continue to affect several areas of the UK, Halifax has offered some advice to homeowners about dealing with the inclement weather.

Those who are at risk from flooding are advised to place sandbags outside doors and windows to minimise the amount of water that gets inside, move furniture upstairs and turn off the main supplies of water, gas and electricity.

Meanwhile, to protect a home from windstorm damage, Halifax recommends that owners secure outside items such as garden furniture, cut back low-hanging branches and clear drainpipes of debris to decrease the chance of blocks.

Martyn Foulds, senior claims manager at Halifax Home Insurance, claimed that the insurer is “well-prepared” for the current storms and is ready to serve customers.

“We anticipate more calls coming in as the storm worsens and we are fully prepared for this,” he added.

The average cost of damage from gales each year in the UK is £300 million, according to the Met Office.

Tags: Insurance, Foulds, home, flooding, chance, inclement, storm, main supplies

Consumers Advised To Get Home Insurance Before Christmas Arrives

With an alarming percentage of homeowners having inadequate or even no contents insurance cover to protect their worldly goods and their homes, experts are advising consumers to ensure that they get themselves sorted out with protective cover before Christmas comes around. With reports suggesting that claims on contents insurance tend to rocket over the Christmas period, consumers are being advised to ensure that they do not get caught short at a time when it seems that accidents and burglaries are most likely to occur.

According to research carried out by Zurich, a whopping ten percent of UK homeowners have no contents cover at all, which means that they are not protected in the events of theft, loss, or damage. A further twenty percent do not have adequate contents insurance based on the items that they have in their homes. The reports also suggested that fifty percent of those with contents insurance had no accidental damage cover on their policies, reducing the protection they received from having cover.

Data provided by Barclays Insurance suggested that the festive period was the time when accidental damage in the home was most likely to occur, and statistics showed that the rise in contents insurance claims tended to shoot up over this period. This is also the time of year when many homes are left empty, as people go to stay with friends and family, as well as the time of year when there are many valuables in homes, in the form of gifts and cash. These factors combined could also mean an increased risk of burglaries.

Data showed that there was a rise of over forty percent in home insurance claims after the Christmas period in 2005 compared to claims made the month before. One Barclays spokesperson stated: “Our data shows that during the Christmas party season, people are particularly likely to incur accidental damage incidents in their homes. The cost of replacing items or cleaning carpets or furniture can quickly add up. It is therefore important to add accidental damage cover to your home insurance policy.”

Tags: claim, damages, home, christmas, cover, prepare, winter, Insurance, weather, premium