One in six British households (4.5 million) will be vacant for more than 24 hours over the Christmas period raising concerns over security and safety, according to new research from Santander Insurance.
While more than a quarter (27 per cent) of Britons who are planning to vacate their homes over Christmas say they will leave their tree lights on so that the property appears occupied. Santander is urging households to consider other ways of protecting their home and not to risk house fires by leaving tree lights on for prolonged periods or when the property is unoccupied.
Santander’s survey also revealed that the use of social networking sites over the festive season could compromise home security, with 43 per cent of people, who will leave their homes unoccupied, intending to post updates about their whereabouts. Thirty per cent of those planning to go away over Christmas say they will update their Facebook status with a message about where they are and one in 10 (11 per cent) will tweet about it. A further 2 per cent say they will use other social networking sites to inform people about where they will be over the festive season.
The findings show that 9 per cent of Britons will be away on Christmas Day and 7 per cent on Boxing Day. Seven per cent will vacate their homes in the week before or after Christmas and 6 per cent will be away from home on New Year’s Eve.
In London, the proportion of those leaving their homes unoccupied over Christmas is considerably higher, with a third (33 per cent) choosing to do so. The trend is also more pronounced among younger people, with 27 per cent of 18–34 year olds leaving home over the festive season compared to just 10 per cent of those aged 55 or over.
Younger people are also more likely to leave their Christmas tree lights on and post messages on social networking sites about their location over Christmas, with three –quarters (74 per cent) of 18-34 year olds going away over the festive period intending to post details of their whereabouts.
| % of respondents away over Christmas that will … | Aged 18 – 34 | Aged 35 – 54 | Aged 55+ | All |
| Leave tree lights on to make the property appear occupied | 42% | 14% | 15% | 30% |
| Update a social networking site with details of their whereabouts | 74% | 24% | 5% | 43% |
Richard Al-Dabbagh, Santander Insurance, said: “It’s important to protect your home over the festive period as darker nights and an abundance of valuable gifts mean that burglary and opportunistic crime is rife at this time of year. However, leaving Christmas tree lights on for prolonged periods is a potential fire hazard.
“It’s easy to forget just how valuable the contents of our homes are over Christmas as we stockpile expensive food, drinks and gifts. Comprehensive home insurance that protects these items is invaluable at this time of year, but prevention is always better that cure so we’re also advising people to take heed of some simple tips that will help to keep their homes and possessions safe this Christmas.”
Santander Insurance’s tips for protecting your home over Christmas
– Don’t leave Christmas presents in clear view through the window
– Before you wrap valuable gifts, take note of the serial number and keep all receipts
– Dispose of present packaging carefully as leaving boxes outside highlights the recent purchase of desirable items
– If you have spare keys or car keys inside your property, keep these hidden in a safe place and avoid keeping large amounts of cash at home
– Draw curtains and blinds when the property is vacant in the evening. Leaving a main light on is advisable but do not leave decorative lights on, as this could be a fire hazard
– Don’t advertise your whereabouts on social media sites
– If you do notice signs of a break-in use a neighbour’s phone to contact the police – don’t go inside or touch anything
