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.
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.
Over 22 percent of families with children under five have had toys taken from outside their homes according to a Halifax home insurance survey.
The most common item to be taken was a childs bicycle, making up almost 1 in 5 of all home insurance claims from those surveyed. Prams and buggies were also a popular target for thieves, no doubt driven by the costs of such items being quite high. The advice from the Halifax insurance people is to put items away safely when not in use, using a garden shed or bringing them into the house.
A Halifax spokesman understood the potential difficulties of being able to put everything away at some times, especially during the Summer when children are in and out of the house all day, but it is worth doing to avoid the psychological stresses it can cause, even if they have contents insurance in place to cover the financial cost.
