According to data collated by the Halifax home insurance division people in the UK have a bicycle stolen at a rate of just over one every minute.
The actual rate is one every sixty-five seconds, worsening from one every seventy-one seconds last year. The data also shows that London is the most dangerous place to own a bicycle, perhaps unsurprising as the bike is a popular form of transport in major cities like this. A Halifax spokesman suggested a simple way to cut the rate of bike theft would be to use a simple U shaped lock when the bike is left unattended.
The Halifax insurance spokesman also suggested looking at garden security, since many bicycles are kept in garden sheds or just in the back garden itself. Simple security is not expensive and could mean a home insurance claim is not needed.
Results from a recent Sainsburys Bank survey show around 4.7 million adults in the UK are without home contents insurance cover.
The most insured area in the UK is Yorkshire and Humberside, where 96 percent of people have contents insurance. This contrasts with London, the least insured place in the country, where only 78 percent of people have cover. Sainsburys Bank urge people without home insurance to get cover as it offers peace of mind and financial cover for what can end up as a significant sum.
With regard to the reasons for not having contents insurance the main reason given was that it simply was not required. This was followed by it being too costly. A Sainsburys Bank spokesman suggested these people should firstly tot up the value of their possessions and then check online to see how inexpensive home contents insurance can be.
The Abbey National is warning homeowners who use oil for heating to make sure it is insured as thefts of the valuable resource are on the increase.
A spokesman for the Abbey National confirmed that police forces from around the country are seeing a rise in oil thefts, with domestic dwellings being specifically targeted. Homeowners are being asked to check their home insurance policy documents as around 10 percent of policies do not cover heating oil.
This issue has grown in importance as the cost of oil has risen so much. Abbey National figures show that the price of oil has pretty much doubled since January, making it an interesting potential opportunity for potential thieves.
