How To Protect Your Home From Winter Damage

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On the JJ Barnes Blog, insurance experts A-Plan Insurance take you through their top tips on protecting your home this winter, and ensuring you don’t have to splash the cash on potential repairs.

The weather is getting colder, and that means our houses are in danger of damage from cold and wet. I’m checking out advice from A-Plan Insurance for how to Winter proof our homes so we don’t have to spend extra money fixing problems!

Why We Need To Protect Our Homes

• A Met Office survey conducted in 2021 found that a lack of preparation causes 40% of Brits to be “caught out” by winter.
• In the event that the weather worsens this winter, more than a third of the population is likely to be unprepared. In addition, during the winter months, 19% of people experienced a broken boiler and more than 25% experienced power outages!
• Sadly for us Brits, January and February are eminent for being the ‘wetter months’. To keep your home and health safe this winter, you can and should take some precautions.

How To Protect Your Home

Make sure your boiler is serviced if you haven’t already. According to British Gas, the busiest period for boiler repair calls is from December to January; the company receives approximately 45,000 calls during Christmas week alone!
Radiators should be bled, and pipes should be insulated.
Seal keyholes, drafty chimneys, and letterboxes that don’t fit right.
Keep the heat in and the cold out by closing the doors to rooms you don’t use!
If you want to keep that extra bit of heat in your home, think about installing thermal blinds or lining beneath your curtains.
Insulate! Fill and seal and use rugs because uninsulated walls and attics account for half of a home’s heat loss and no flooring insulation accounts for 10%.
Prepare a supply of sandbags in case of a flood.
Flood guards should be used on exterior doors and ventilation bricks should a high level of surface water be anticipated.
Cover your outdoor faucets and install non-return valves on your drains and pipes.
Your boiler, fuse box, and even television should all be wall-mounted at least 1.5 meters above the ground.

How To Avoid Burst Pipes

Did you know that one of the most frequently filed claims by insurers is for damage caused by “escape of water”? According to the Association of British Insurers, the average claim for damage caused by a burst pipe is between £6,500 and £7,500.

Despite the fact that water damage is typically covered by your building’s insurance, it is preferable to prevent it in the first place. The Big Freeze poses an additional threat during the winter, but “escape of water” can occur at any time of the year. Most of the time, pipes that run along exterior walls and are exposed to outside temperatures tend to freeze more easily.

How To Prepare Your Pipes For Winter

• Lag water tanks and pipes in unheated interior spaces like garages and lofts.
• On chilly days, open the loft trap door to let heat circulate.
• For additional lagging, wrap fragile pipes in electric heat tape.
• Guarantee there are no breaks or holes around the lines that enter your home and fill any you find.
• Disengage open air things like hoses.
• Make sure you know where your stopcock is and that you can turn it off if you need to.
• If you’re going to be away for Christmas, keep the heating on at regular intervals, either on low or on a timer. If you are going to be away, have a friend or neighbor check the temperature of your home on a regular basis.
• Verify that your boiler has undergone maintenance.
• Turn off the water at the stopcock and think about draining the system so there is no more water in the pipes if your property is going to be unoccupied for a longer period of time.

If you find your pipes are frozen, switch your water off at the fundamental stopcock straight away. Verify that no pipes have burst. If not, either wait for them to warm up or use a low-wattage hairdryer, hot water bottles, or a towel soaked in hot water to thaw them, starting at the end closest to the tap.

If you discover a burst pipe, turn off the water at the main stopcock and open all the faucets to drain the system. Turn off the central heating and any other water heating systems. Advice on arranging professional repairs and filing a claim on your home insurance can be obtained from your home insurance service.

Risk Of Flooding

One in six homes in the UK is thought to be vulnerable to flooding. The flood risk to property will only be reduced by 11%, despite the Government’s announcement of a record £5.2 billion investment in improved flood protection for homes and businesses over the next five years, which will assist in avoiding the enormous £32 billion in flood-related economic damages.

The property damage can be catastrophic, especially for those without insurance.

The ABI estimates that the average household flood claim for Storms Ciara and Dennis in 2020 is approximately £32,000. According to NFU Mutual, insurance claims from 2022’s Storm Arwen totaled a staggering £80 million.

Many homes are woefully underinsured, which is exacerbated by the significant rise in building materials, such as timber prices rising by 23% in a month and other materials rising by 10% to 15%. This could mean that repairs this year could cost even more, so make sure your cover is up to date right away.

What Should I Do In The Event Of Flooding?

For flood warnings, make sure you’re on the UK Government mailing list (or here if you’re in Scotland). Additionally, you can check the government website..

Put your sandbags and other temporary flood protections in place if your area is on high alert. Turn off the gas, electricity, and water supplies if you can, and move valuables, including important documents, upstairs. Additionally, turn off water-consuming appliances like your dishwasher and washing machine.

If you are asked to leave, be ready to evacuate right away, including your pets.

Only return when you are told it is safe to do so, as leaving too late could leave you stranded upstairs with no way out.

If you’re in immediate danger, call 999. Otherwise, if you’re flooded, the dedicated Floodline number to phone for advice is 0345 988 1188 (0300 2000 100 in Northern Ireland), and it’s available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you have no insurance providing cover for alternative accommodation, you may be able to get temporary accommodation by contacting your local council who will come to inspect your home and assess whether you’re eligible.

Important: Before you start the cleanup, you need to call your insurance company. They will tell you what to do next and whether you can file a claim. Due to the possibility of biohazards, it is essential to consult with your insurer prior to cleaning.

Will Home Insurance Cover Winter Damage?

The response is essentially “it depends on the damage.”

For your personal belongings, you’ll need home insurance called “contents,” and buildings insurance will cover your home in the event of a storm that damages your roof or causes a leak that damages it.

You can file a claim for the damage to your furniture, electrical items, and other belongings if it is caused by an event, such as a pipe burst or storm flooding. However, you will need to determine how much coverage you have.

Note: You won’t be covered for this under a standard buildings and contents policy because it can be very difficult to obtain insurance for a property that has been flooded before. A-Plan has agreements with specialized providers that allow us to provide flood insurance for homes at risk with all the information you need to make an informed decision.

Call the team directly at 01865 241 241 to speak with one of our flood specialists, who will be happy to provide you with general guidance and explain your options. Contact your local branch to see if your current home and contents insurance policy covers you adequately. They will be happy to go over the details with you.

The research was carried out by A-Plan Insurance, which has more than 100 high street branches nationwide. The company, established in the 1960s, provides a personalised service to more than 600,000 clients.  