AA Insurance has asked the government to continue investing in flood defences as well as suggesting local councils should not approve building in high risk areas.
The floods of last year were exacerbated by the inability of the drainage systems to take the water away, aspects that the government can have a big say in. Around 180,000 claims were made last year following the floods said AA Insurance, costing insurers some GBP3 billion. There were also many people without home insurance who suffered as well, highlighting the need for both buildings and contents insurance to protect the most valuable assets people have.
Looking to the future there may be a situation where insurers like AA Insurance and others refuse to cover people for flood damage unless steps are taken to improve the defences available. Such a scenario would be a nightmare for homeowners of course. An alternative may be higher premiums, though the increase would be large in order to cover the potential risk, again leading to many consumers being unable to afford the cover they need.
Direct Line has revealed its latest home insurance product to be an all inclusive package that covers all aspects and should save consumers money.
The new Direct Line Home Insurance Plus policy covers both buildings and contents, other possessions such as sports equipment, handbags and their contents. It also incorporates travel insurance, protect for credit cards, legal support and ID theft.
Apart from the comprehensive nature of the policy, which Direct Line believe will allow customers to feel more relaxed, there are going to be cost savings too. With protection for all these different aspects in one policy it negates the need for a range of different insurance products. Using one policy like this is easier and cheaper than the options currently available.
A recent study by Tesco Finance has looked at the damage we do in our own homes and found some startling results.
Children are one of the major culprits when it comes to damage around the home, racking up over GBP136 million worth of home insurance damage claims per year. Following on in value is the effects of alcohol, costing around GBP95 million in broken items and stains caused by spills. Following on from these is the damage caused by family pets, with a total of GBP87 million worth of damage every year from our faithful friends.
The biggest source of claims, for Tesco home insurance at least, is what they are calling horse play. Just messing around leads to a massive GBP325 million worth of damage and accounts for 25 percent of all contents insurance claims.
