With over a third, 35%[1] of Brits away for a few days or more over the Christmas and winter holiday period, AXA Home Insurance is warning that burst pipes could be a bigger threat than burglary while you’re away.
Statistics from AXA show that during December and January last year, more people claimed for ‘escape of water’ than for either fire or theft. Yet while nearly two-thirds of us (57%) worry that our homes will be burgled while we’re away and a quarter (24%) worry that our homes might be destroyed by fire, only 8% are concerned that a burst pipe might be a problem.
In fact, while we head off to see loved ones over the Christmas holiday period, only one in three (38%) people will take even the most basic of precautions to protect against burst pipes such as leaving the heating on, yet nearly three quarters (71%) will lock the windows.
According to AXA’s data, the big freeze in January last year led to around one in every 1000 homes claiming for water damage from a burst pipe with average claims reaching a staggering £15,000.
Claims for contents alone averaged £4,200 – around ten times the £418 people reckon they will spend on Christmas this year. And with many households having no cover for contents [2] , this could lead to a very expensive Christmas for some. Claims for burst pipe damage under buildings insurance came in at an average of £10,900.
Nick Kidd, head of home insurance at AXA says: “Our research shows that people don’t really understand the importance of protecting their water systems from freezing conditions. Not only does burst pipe damage have financial implications, especially if insurance is not in place, but it can also cause huge emotional trauma from ruined personal belongings.
“Arriving home after a Christmas break to find your home devastated by a burst pipe can be very stressful and even if you have the insurance in place to cover the cost, the sentimental value of many things we keep in the home can never be compensated.
“Last January’s huge rise in claims (around 60% up from the previous year) was primarily down to a sharp drop in temperatures in early January leaving pipes vulnerable. But this was by no means an exceptional weather event and a few cold days this Christmas could mean a miserable New Year for many homeowners.”
AXA’s tips for protecting pipes
- Leave your heating on at a minimum of 12°C while you are away. This will stop water in your pipes from freezing.
- Check the insulation on your water pipes – if there’s none in place get it sorted as soon as possible. Only 39% of people questioned had either insulated or checked on their insulation in the last three years.
- Get your cold water tank lagged – 28% of people were confident that this had been sorted in the last three years.
- Insulate your loft – not only will this keep your home warm, it has environmental benefits too. AXA research showed 56% had either had new insulation or checked their existing insulation over the last three years.
- Leave your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors open – this will allow warmer air to circulate around the pipes that are often found inside these cupboards.
- Leave your loft hatch open to let warm air circulate – particularly if you have a cold water tank in your loft.
- Seal any holes that let in cold air. With modern technology, increasing numbers of people have holes in the wall for computer cables or TV links – yet less than half of us (47%) have taken the trouble to fill around these holes.
- Drain your water system. Probably not necessary if you are going away for just a short period, but if you are planning an extended break during the winter, this is a wise precaution. The group most badly affected by claims last year were the over 50s who were spending the winter abroad.
- Get your neighbours to check on your property – 58% of us do this anyway and while it won’t stop a pipe from freezing if you haven’t taken other precautions, at least early intervention may reduce the damage caused.
- Check your insurance is up to date and you are covered for the full value of your contents. If you’re an AXA home insurance customer and the worst happens, AXA will offer a dedicated claims handler to see you through your claim.
Note:
[1] All data (aside from 2 below) taken from OnePoll survey carried out in November 2009 among 2000 UK adults, or from AXA’s own claims database.
[2] According to Datamonitor’s 2009 UK Household Insurance report, it is estimated that nearly 20% of the adult population does not have contents insurance.
