Water woes: New data reveals ‘escape of water’ tops home insurance claims
New data from Go.Compare Home Insurance has revealed ‘escape of water’ is the biggest issue for homeowners, accounting for almost one in three (28.63%) claims declared in 2024.*
Analysis of home insurance claims by the comparison website shows that escape of water, which refers to water that’s leaking from a burst pipe or a faulty appliance, took the top spot for home insurance claims declared in 2024. Insurers will usually cover water damage and the cost of repairing the leak, but finding the leak (trace and access cover) might be a separate element of your home policy.
Accidental damage incidents at home, such as drink spills or drilling through a pipe, is a close second, making up 26.33% of claims declared in 2024.
Meanwhile, storm damage accounted for 13.5% of total claims, with recent figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) revealing that insurers paid out a record £585 million for weather-related damage in 2024, showing the increasing impact of extreme weather events on homeowners across the UK.**
|
Claim Categories |
Percentage of overall* |
|
Escape of water |
28.63% |
|
Accidental loss/damage at home |
26.33% |
|
Storm |
13.50% |
|
Accidental loss/damage away from home |
6.16% |
|
Theft from home (including outbuildings) |
5.86% |
|
Other causes at home |
3.60% |
|
Theft away from home |
2.71% |
|
Flood |
2.12% |
|
Fire |
1.97% |
|
Collision |
1.44% |
Regionally, homeowners in Jersey made the most storm damage claims accounting for 10.75% of claims, with Guernsey second at 3.88%.
Nathan Blackler, spokesperson for Go.Compare Home Insurance says, “These findings highlight the importance of ensuring your home is properly protected. While home insurance can’t prevent floods, storms, or fires, it provides peace of mind that you’re covered should the worst happen.
“With accidental damage as the second most common claim, it’s clear that one mistake can be costly. However, accidental damage cover isn’t always included as standard in home insurance policies and is often an optional extra. It’s worth checking your policy to decide whether it’s worth paying more for this protection.”
Nathan added: “It’s also wise to maintain your home throughout the year. If a storm or heavy rain is forecast, secure garden furniture and address any potential issues in advance. While there’s no guarantee of preventing damage, being proactive can help you avoid making a claim and protect your no-claims bonus.”
To read the full report on the most common home insurance claims, visit here: https://www.gocompare.com/home-insurance/common-home-insurance-claims/
Contact Information
Rubie Barker
Notes to editors
//ENDS//
*Based on all quotes by Go.Compare customers for Home Insurance completed between 1 January 2024 and 31 December 2024, considering only the last quote per customer within this period. The data represents the percentage of quotes for each claim type and area where the customer declared one or more claims or reported any loss or damage of the specified type, regardless of whether a formal claim was made, when completing their home quote. Only claims related to the same property as stated in the quote are considered. As this is based on quote data provided by customers, it may not be 100% reflective of policies bought.
**ABI, More action needed to protect properties as adverse weather takes record toll on insurance claims in 2024, Published 10 February 2025, Last checked 12 March 2025
For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden or Kath Chadwick at Go.compare on lynsey.walden@gocompare.com or kathryn.chadwick@gocompare.com.
Keep up-to-date with GoCompare on Twitter; @GoCompare
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 www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.