According to Tesco Finance the cost of not changing home insurance companies last year totalled GBP26 million.
The study found that almost two thirds of people remained with their existing insurance providers when it came to renewal time, even though almost half of them saw the cost increase over the previous year. For around 4 million of them the increase was more than the level of inflation, said a Tesco Finance spokesman, even though only a small number of these had increased their cover or made a claim.
The advice that comes out loud and clear from Tesco is that everyone should at least get a couple of alternative quotes at renewal time to make sure they are getting the best home insurance deal available.
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.
According to a recent survey conducted by Santander over 40% of homeowners who took out a home insurance policy did not read their insurance agreement before taking out a policy.Homeowners that do not read the full terms and conditions of the contract run the risk of being under insured, as they are not fully aware of what their insurance cover actually covers.Research has shown that some policyholders who thought that they were covered for a particular level of coverage like accidental damage, were in fact not covered at all, and face the expensive task of replacing the items at their own expense. This of course could have been avoided had they read the level of cover included on their insurance policy. All homeowners want the best level of cover at the cheapest price for buildings insurance and contents insurance, but they must check to see that the cover meets their insurance needs before taking out a policy. Not all policies are the same and that is why it is so important to read the terms and conditions very carefully making sure that it does in fact meet the right level of cover to protect their home and their possessions.See our home insurance comparison table for more information or our guides and tips pages.