Everyone knows about protecting your home from burst pipes due to freezing in the winter. But not everyone is aware that this is a particular problem in October when many people turn their central heating back on.
As the clocks go back Sunday 30th to herald the start of winter, it is important to be aware of the risks and how to prevent them. Leaks and damage to homes from an escape of water is one of the top reasons for home insurance claims. Of these the most common by far is related to leaks from water pipes, which make up 38% of all the water damage claims.
Legal & General has received nearly 14,600 claims for water damage caused by leaking pipes since the beginning of 2014, at a cost of nearly £36m. The firm also received over 3,000 claims related to leaking showers.
In all, it has fielded 38,000 household insurance claims for water damage over the last two and a half years, with a total value of £81m. The latest
Association of British Insurers statistics also confirm that this is one of the top reasons for customer claims across the industry, with £1.72m paid every day for escape of water problems in residential properties in 2014.
The average cost of a claim for damage caused by leaking, frozen or damaged water pipes is £2390.
L&G’s data shows that for burst central heating pipes alone, the costs are higher at £2,800 on average per claim. So what steps can you take to minimise your exposure to such a situation? Here is L&G’s five-point health check for residents to prevent or reduce the effects of water damage is as follows:
1. Regularly monitor your water meter readings (if you have one) so you can spot any big increase in usage
2. Make sure you know where your main water stopcock or valve is and ensure it is operational
3. Check if you have a drain valve on your central heating system and make sure that you know how to use this in the event of a leak to help minimise the damage
4. Ensure that water pipes are lagged correctly in order to minimize the risk of them cracking during the colder months
5. Check if you have Home Emergency Cover on your Home Insurance which could provide 24-hour support and cover for call-out charges and parts for certain emergency repairs.
