Claims to blame: most common home insurance claims revealed
Accidental loss or damage, escape of water and storm damage are the top three most-claimed-for problems at home
Home insurance is an important protection - but what is it most likely to protect you against? Go.Compare’s home insurance experts have taken a look at the latest claims data to reveal the most common reasons people claim on their home policies.*
The data reveals that accidental loss or damage at home is the most common reason people claim, with more than 21,500 claims lodged in 2022 - which accounts for just over a quarter (28 per cent) of all home insurance claims made. Reasons to make a claim like this could include drilling through pipes, carpet spills and other mishaps.
Escape of water is the second most common cause for a home insurance claim, also making up more than a quarter of the claims lodged in 2022 (26 per cent). A term that insurers use, escape of water is where a leak in your home causes damage. This could be due to a burst pipe, a faulty appliance or even a dripping tap.
Storm damage also features surprisingly high on the list, with more than 1 in 10 (13 per cent) of home insurance claims being due to storms.
|
Claim type |
Percentage of overall claims |
|
Accidental loss/damage at home |
28% |
|
Escape of water |
26% |
|
Storm |
13% |
|
Theft from home (incl. outbuildings) |
7% |
|
Accidental loss/damage away from home |
7% |
Ceri McMillan, home insurance expert at Go.Compare, said: “Your home insurance policy can help protect you from a range of mishaps and unfortunate events - and while we can see a wide range of claims were lodged in 2022, some issues are definitely more common than others.
“The number one issue homeowners claim on their insurance for is accidental loss or damage - those ‘oops’ moments like spilling wine on the carpet, drilling through a water pipe or accidentally melting the countertop with a hot pan. Other common reasons to claim include escape of water, storm damage, and experiencing theft.”
“Less common reasons homeowners lodged a claim for included falling trees - for which there were 377 claims - lightning, with 111 claims, and arson with only seven claims.”
“While not all of these issues are preventable, there are steps you can take to make your home more secure and limit your chances of having to claim. We recommend you:
- Protect against weather damage: check regularly for loose tiles, broken guttering and other external issues, and fix any damage quickly.
- Check and insulate external taps and pipes: make sure pipes and taps are in good condition, and when cooler weather returns, add insulation to prevent them freezing and bursting.
- Take care of trees: clear away any broken branches, and maintain trees close to your home as they can cause damage if they fall.
- Bump up your home security: deter thieves by using sturdy, approved locks on doors and windows, installing a burglar alarm, and keeping belongings securely locked away indoors or in outbuildings.
And if in doubt about any work or repairs, seek the advice of a qualified specialist.”
Ceri added, “It’s also really important to check the details of your home insurance policy and what exactly it covers you for, as this can vary quite a lot between insurers and between specific policies. We always recommend homeowners take the time to compare home policies using an online comparison tool, so they can find the right cover - and possibly save some money, too.”
See the full report on the UK’s most common home insurance claims, here: https://www.gocompare.com/home-insurance/common-home-insurance-claims/.
-Ends-
Contact Information
Rosie Johns
Notes to editors
For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden on lynsey.walden@gocompare.com, or Kath Chadwick on Kathryn.chadwick@gocompare.com.
Notes to editors
*Go.Compare looked at all of the areas of the UK where claims were made and what the claim was for, then pulled out the top 20 areas where those claims were most frequently made.
Data is based on home quotes completed in 2022.
Data relates to last quote per customer in year.
% of Quote relates to the % of quotes (last per customer per year) in each area where the customer declared 1 or more claim of the specified type when completing their home quote. Where fewer than 5 claims of the specified type were declared for the area, the area has been excluded from the output.
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here go.compare or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.