As the temperatures start to drop and Winter begins to loom on the horizon, your home insurance may come under more scrutiny as the harsher weather takes its toll on your home.
A recent study by Defaqto found that three out of four home insurance policies don’t include cover for home emergencies as standard and therefore burst pipes and boiler breakdowns have to be paid for.
If you’re unsure whether your property is covered, then contact us for advice but for now we have put together some tips to keep your home covered through the colder months…
Pipe dreams
As the temperatures drop, the water in your pipes can freeze causing them to burst and deal major damage to your home. In order to avoid this, keep an eye out for any gaps in external walls as the cold air could reach the pipes and encourage them to freeze over. Sealing over any gaps in external walls, as well as adding insulation around vulnerable pipes in areas such as the loft and garage could mitigate this problem.
Boiler spoiler
When was the last time that you had your boiler checked? A poorly maintained boiler wastes energy and costs more to run, as well as running the risk of leaking carbon monoxide into your home. Having your boiler serviced will reap rewards in the long run, as well as giving you peace of mind in terms of safety and efficiency.
Fill the gaps
Around a quarter of the heat lost from your home escapes through the loft, and therefore having good loft insulation is key to staying warm this winter. As well as the loft space, cavity wall insulation can make a real difference to keeping your home warm and energy bills low – with a typical saving of £145 per year saved on energy bills simply through having insulation installed.
Down the drain
As the leaves fall from the trees, drains and gutters can easily become blocked with debris, causing build-ups of water which could make its way into your home in the form of damp. As the temperature drops, these leaves are prone to freezing which can weigh down your guttering and damage external structures. Ensure that your drains and gutters are debris free by checking lower-level guttering on your property and clearing these out by hand as safely as possible – if the lower-levels are blocked then higher levels may also require a closer inspection.
Season’s Greetings from all the staff at Neil Willies Insurance Brokers Limited. Our office will be closed for the Xmas period from midday on Tuesday 24th December 2019 until 9:00am on Thursday January 2nd 2020. In the event that you need to contact us urgently during this time, please call; Neil Willies on 07973 721 444, David Wolverson on 07976 979 203 or Andrew Powell on 07948 751573