Friday, 9 December 2011

Homes not ready for Winter despite warnings.


"over 3 million homes damaged by freeze last year"

40% of homeowners have done nothing to prepare their home for freezing conditions. That's the shock finding in a report by Churchill Home Insurance.

Two thirds have not even had their boiler serviced, ahead of the Winter.

Last year, over 3 million homes were damaged by the freezing conditions with the worst affected areas being Yorkshire and Humberside. The North East  suffered twice as many 'casualties' as the previous Winter.

The insurer goes on to reveal that 35% of homes affected suffered damage to their roof, whilst 33% had frozen or burst pipes.

And just when you need it most, 16% suffered central heating failure, whilst 15% suffered from boiler breakdown.

Churchill are warning homeowners to take serious note of the dangers of not being prepared, and the costs and disruption involved if you're not prepared for Winter. 

What would you do if the pipes burst in your home? Would you know where your stop-valve is - does it even work? The time to find out is now. Oh, and while you're about it, check and apply pipe and tank lagging as required to help ensure you don't suffer the misery of broken pipes.

If you're home heating is on a cover plan, check to see whether you're entitled to a free boiler health check. Waiting any longer will see the heating engineers get booked up for weeks / even months in advance. A little servicing could save you days without heating should the worst happen.

photo credit: bryn pinzgauer

No comments:



REMEMBER TO READ OUR MOST RECENT BLOG POSTS CLICK HERE