Frozen-burst water pipes cost UK insurers £27m

28th January 2009

Home insurance claims relating to water damage have increased significantly over the past few weeks, according to Sainsbury’s insurance arm.

Sainsbury’s Home Insurance estimates a total of 13,000 water damage claims under the category ‘forcible/violent bursting’ this winter across the UK.

Total cost to insurers is estimated at £27.56 million.

Neil Laird, manager of Sainsbury’s Home Insurance, said freezing temperatures are the main culprit.

Laird said: “There have certainly been more home insurance claims linked to water damage in recent weeks than we’d expect to see when the weather is milder.

“Temperatures have dropped to as low as -10C (14F) and with more cold weather predicted, we expect to see more claims linked to water damage.”

Laird advises homeowners to keep warm water circulating every day, even when they are away from home.

Switching the heating off during a period of absence ‘really is a no, no,’ Laird said. “Warm water must be kept circulating even if it’s for a short period each day.”

Source: http://www.insurancedaily.co.uk/