Winter woe for homeowners

24th October, 2005

Homeowners around the UK are being advised that the dark winter months can pose home security problems.

Long, dark evenings and drawn-in nights make the conditions ripe for thieves to break into houses unnoticed, says NFU Mutual, advising people to check their home insurance policies are up-to-date in case of theft.

The company warns that when the clocks go back at the end of October, the nights will get even darker, meaning that it is time to check properties are safe and secure.

Sid Gibson, NFU Mutual's chief underwriting manager says that poor security can often lead to home insurance claims being rejected, because the homeowner needs to take reasonable measures to protect property.

'It's a surprising result and we are concerned that as well as putting their possessions at risk, homeowners who do not lock their doors may have theft claims turned down because insurers require them to take reasonable steps to protect their property.'

The insurer says it is 'particularly concerned' at the results of a recent website poll, that revealed that while many homeowners have taken security measures to protect properties, such as CCTV and alarms, 17.5 per cent of them said they never locked their door at night.

 

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