Policyholders submitted 335,000 claims for damage to their homes, businesses and vehicles, broken down as follows:

Motor insurance – 268,400 claims at a cost of £395 million – many claims were for accidental damage as motorists struggled on slippery roads.

Property damage (homeowners and business customers) – 66,600 claims costing £255 million – of these, 60,200 involved homes, at a cost of £194 million.

The volume of weather damage claims rose to double that normally seen during December and January, with a typical claim involving roof damage caused by snow.

The ABI’s director of general insurance and health, Nick Starling, says: “From dealing with snow damaged roofs, burst pipes, to repairing or replacing vehicles damaged by treacherous driving conditions, insurers helped their customers get through the snow and the freezing temperatures.”

He adds: “Insurers have paid out nearly £1 billion to customers following bad weather this winter, as the heavy snow came weeks after the flooding in Cumbria, which led to insurers paying out £200 million in flood claims.”

With costs increasing at twice the rate of inflation, the North West has emerged as the most expensive region in which face a trip to the vets.

The average annual bill in the area stand at £646; 53% more than in Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, which are the cheapest regions at an average £421.

For North-Eastern cats owners, bills have risen by 29%, from £324 to £417; for dog owners in the region the increase is slightly less at 17%, from £561 to £656.

Saga chief executive, Andrew Goodsell, comments: “As vet bills are vastly surpassing inflation, pet insurance is therefore a vital tool to help owners budget for unforeseen costs of care for their cat or dog that may arise in the future, especially for those aged over 50 whose income is already being squeezed a both ends in the current climate.”

Concerns that dogs are being bred solely for the purpose of intimidating others have led ministers to review the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.

According to Home Secretary Alan Johnson: “The vast majority of dog owners are responsible, but there is no doubt that some people breed and keep dogs for the soul purpose of intimidating others, in a sense using dogs as a weapon.”

He adds: “It is this sort of behaviour that we will not tolerate; it is this sort of behaviour that we are determined to stop.”

The pit bull terrier, Japanese tosa, dogo Argentinos and the fila brasileiros are already banned in public places but can be a menace to postal workers, telecoms engineers and other people who enter private property in the course of their work.

An outright ban on certain breeds, together with compulsory third-party insurance is now reported to be under consideration.

The firm says the move will provide the local community with a face-to-face service that includes an annual review and price check; help managing claims; and access to exclusive offers and promotions.

The broker announced its intention to develop a branch network in May 2009 and expects to establish a new and successful business channel as a result.

New markets director, Lance Bennett, says: “We hope that we can exceed the unprecedented growth rates which Hastings Direct is currently experiencing.”

He adds: “Our continued dedication to multi-channel distribution is largely focused on the south east, but our growth plans for the future are much larger scale.”

In other Hastings news, the group recently announced that it is investing in state-of-the-art technology that will allow it to seek out and reject at point of sale customers who are likely to make fraudulent motor claims.

According to the financial website, firms providing savings accounts, current accounts, mortgages and car and home insurance have all been evaluated on the basis of trustworthiness and customer service.

In all but one category the same provider took the “most trusted” and “best customer service” award.

The exception was car insurance, where Tesco emerged as the “most trusted insurer” and Saga as “best customer service” provider.

Dual awards are as follows: RIAS for home insurance; Nationwide Building Society for mortgages; First Direct for current accounts and savings and Alliance & Leicester for cash ISAs.

Thisismoney editor, Andrew Oxlade, says: “Our readers make it their mission to meticulously sift through all the players in the personal finance industry to find the best – they’re a very choosy lot.”

According to the construction magazine, recent figures from insurance research body, RISCAuthority, indicate that 40% of fires involving a loss exceeding £150,000 are related to timber-frame and light-gauge steel-frame buildings.

Concerns centre on the performance of fire-stopping devices in cavities that separate the frame from cladding once a building is complete.

Aviva’s property risk manager, Allister Smith, has suggested that premiums could rise or cover could be refused because of “disproportionate losses” from large buildings of modern construction.

In November, a fire at a tower block in Peckham cost six lives and the RISCAuthority has now submitted a report to the London assembly fire investigation panel, warning about the risks of some modern building methods.

The assembly is proposing to undertake its own investigations this month.

In December, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) reported that fire damage reached record levels in the first half of 2009.

Insurers paid out £639 million or £3.6 million every day for damage caused by fires.

ABI director of general insurance and health, Nick Starling, said: “While the numbers of fires may have been falling, the increase in large-scale fires is increasingly putting lives at risk, and puts more pressure on businesses in these already difficult trading times.”

The drainage inspection specialist has developed DrainShield UK, an independent, stand-alone, decade-long warranty on any work carried out by the firm.

Cover applies across both the commercial and domestic property sectors and is transferable from one property owner to another.

Best of all, it apparently comes at no cost to the customer.

Auger managing director, Dave Brewster, points out that the scheme will reduce any future liability to insurers, should a repair fail in the 10 year period.

He explains: “Responsibility for repair or installation effectiveness will remain with Auger for the first 12 months under current consumer protection legislation but will now be enhanced so that should a repair or installation fail within 10 years of works being done, insurance cover will step in to assist the property owner.”

The policy is underwritten by Liberty Insurance and administered by MD Insurance.

In other domestic insurance news, the Financial Ombudsman Service recently drew attention to a “significant number” of complaints relating to companies that sell insurance covering domestic plumbing and heating emergencies.

According to the watchdog, some firms have left homeowners without heating for weeks, leading to “damaging knock-on effects”.

They need only request a full home insurance quote from the lender by 7th March to be entered into a prize draw that could relieve them of monthly mortgage repayments of up to £1,000 for a year.

The Spanish bank’s Peace of Mind offering is five-star rated from Defaqto.

Key features include unlimited total sum insured for buildings and contents on dwellings with up to five bedrooms and unlimited sum insured cover for the cost of temporary accommodation.

The policy also protects against the loss of computer downloads, such as music, and there is no extra charge for paying premiums monthly by direct debit.

Santander Insurance UK director, Miguel Sard, says: “This is a great opportunity for someone to be mortgage free for a year, at the cost of a simple enquiry into how best to get comprehensive cover for your home.”

He adds: “In the current climate, offers like this are few and far between and we would encourage homeowners to make the most of the chance of this opportunity”.

The cost per house was up to £30,000, with businesses having to fork out £112,000 to get their firm back up and running.

As the dangers of flooding become more widely known, 150 persons have signed up to the National Flood Forum and Landmark Information Group’s ‘Know Your Flood Risk’ (KYFR) campaign.

The members come from a range of backgrounds including government at local and national level, flood protection specialists and housing developers.

The campaign aims to increase awareness, and to provide support to homeowners and property professionals against the dangers of flooding.

Director Rupert Evans, of specialist flood risk consultancy Evans Rivers and Coastal Ltd, has said he believes floods will become increasingly commonplace and that awareness must be raised.

James Sherwood-Rogers, MD of Landmark Legal and Financial, has pointed out that the last decade has seen three major floods, destroying thousands of homes.

He went on to say that increased awareness will help those at risk reduce their exposure to the dangers of flooding.

The floods in Cumbria during November last year caused damage totalling around £200m, according to the ABI.

In addition, the Environment Agency has concluded that one in every six English homes is at risk of flooding and that £20bn needs to be spent on flood defences by 2035.

The personal lines network is confident that homeprotect will enable brokers to meet the needs of many property owners who are refused cover or face high premiums.

Those with previous flood claims, properties built on flood plains or with a history of subsidence are expected to benefit, as are owners of listed or unusually constructed buildings.

homeprotect can also provide cover for applicants declaring convictions or bankruptcy proceedings; homeworkers; students; landlords and people with unusual occupations.

1 Answer managing director, Paul Muir, says the policy opens up new avenues of profitability for brokers.

He adds: “There are millions of insurance buyers out there who for various reasons struggle to access insurance … homeprotect is flexible enough to give our members a solution to their problem.”

The policy is available as a white-label addition to members’ web-sites, allowing online quotes, or via 1 Answer Network’s own web site.

Earlier this month, 1 Answer announced the launch of an improved web server.

The CDL “Integrity” installation will be fully rolled out by April, allowing present and future members of the network to take advantage of full Internet trading ability.