Homeowners not protecting themselves against winter weather

by Richard Kilner

Story link: Homeowners not protecting themselves against winter weather

Cornhill Direct have conducted a survey of 1,000 people which reveals homeowners are putting themselves at substantial financial risk by failing to protect their homes against adverse winter weather.

The insurer points out that the cost of a single pipe bursting can be as much as £3,500.

The survey shows that 43% of respondents have no lagging around water pipes and 30% have none around their water tank.

In addition 10% of people don’t know where their stopcock is, should they need to stop the water in the event of a burst pipe. The same percentage have confessed to taking no precautions, such as turning off the aforementioned stopcock, to protect their home from bad weather if they go on holiday.

A significant proportion of people, 38%, do not believe there are any measures that are available to counter a sharp fall in temperature.

Cornhill Direct’s Simon Coughlin described winter weather as the largest reason behind domestic emergencies, bursting pipes and overwhelming central heating systems.

He advises homeowners to assess the state of their pipes, checking for cracks or leaks, before the weather turns too cold. Coughlin also suggests individuals to find the location of their stopcocks.

In the last year almost half of callers to Cornhill Direct’s emergency helpline have suffered drainage or plumbing problems caused by burst pipes or blocked drains. Another 23% have reported problems with their central heating.