Home Insurance Claims Increase After New Year
The number of claims made by householders during the first week of January is 37 per cent higher than an average week for the rest of the year, according to Sainsbury’s Finance.
It is estimated that £25.4 million could be paid out by the home contents insurer during the first week of 2010, as customers make claims for damages or losses sustained over the holidays.
Homeowners are advised to avoid costly claims by taking care around their properties and taking simple steps, such as ensuring plug sockets are not overloaded and candles are not left unattended.
Sainsbury’s home insurance manager, Ben Tyte, said: “In these challenging economic times, opportunist thieves could well be on the lookout for unattended homes while large numbers of visitors could increase your chances of accidental damage.”
Christmas could have already proven to be an expensive time for some shoppers, with Sainsbury’s Finance estimating that as much as £57 million was spent each hour on Christmas Eve.