With the unpredictable British winter weather on its way, the UK’s leading insurer, says now is the time to protect homes, cars and businesses from the potentially devastating effects of severe weather.
Dave Lovely, claims director for Aviva said: “We know from experience how unpredictable the weather can be so the best advice is to prepare your home, car and business now for every eventuality. High winds, heavy rain and freeze can cause havoc to homes and businesses but there are some simple and inexpensive things that can be done now to protect vehicles and property.
Advice for home and car owners – Extreme Weather Checklist
Aviva’s newly launched interactive extreme weather checklist can be found on its website: http://www.aviva.co.uk/home/extreme-weather-checklist/.
Dave Lovely continued: “Storm damage can be avoided by pruning tree branches, replacing loose roof tiles, maintaining fences, clearing gutters and re-pointing a crumbling chimney.
“A big freeze can lead to burst pipes which, along with flooding, can cause total disruption to a home. The best way to avoid a burst pipe is to lag pipes and keep the heating on – especially if you’re planning to be away from home for any length of time. If your home is at risk of flooding consider replacing carpets with hard floors, moving plug sockets up to a higher point on the wall and using water-resistant paint for the walls.
“Snow and ice can also cause mayhem on the roads. It’s worth stocking up now with a bag of grit - for icy drive-ways; and a de-icer, scraper and blankets - for the car.”
Aviva Claims Data*
- December is the worst month of the year for burst pipes, with 27 December the worst day. The average cost of a burst pipe claim is £5,000.
- The worst month of the year for storms is January with the average cost of a storm claim around £1,200.
- The typical home insurance pay out for a building and contents policy over the last ten years in a flood risk area is £33,000.**
Advice for businesses – Aviva Winter Weather Bulletin
Aviva, the UK’s largest commercial insurer, has launched a Winter Weather Bulletin to help businesses take practical steps to prepare for the coming winter months, which can be found on its website, www.aviva.co.uk/yourbusiness/risk-management/protect-your-business. It provides useful tips and checklists for businesses on a range of seasonal topics such as flood, storm, snow and ice, as well as advice on keeping staff and visitors safe during bad weather.
Dave Lovely said: “Taking some simple steps now can help you weather-proof your business as we turn towards the winter months.
“We know how traumatic and disruptive extreme winter weather can be and if you need to make a claim we are here to help get you back up and running as quickly as possible, but being prepared is the best way to help prevent bad weather impacting your business operations.
“Our winter bulletin looks at the sorts of checks you can make now – for example, checking pipes are adequately lagged to reduce the chance of water pipes freezing or carrying out maintenance to ensure guttering and pipes are free of leaves so that water doesn’t build up and create damage.
“As we all know winter weather can be unpredictable and driving conditions can quickly deteriorate so there are also some tips to help keep your staff safe on the roads.”
British Red Cross Emergency app
Aviva is also supporting the British Red Cross with the launch of its new UK Emergency app, which enables users to set up real-time alerts for severe weather in their area, along with practical advice before, during and after an event.***
Ends
If you are a journalist and would like further information, please contact:
Katy Hurren | Aviva Press Office | 07800 692548 | katy.hurren@aviva.com | @Katy_Hurren
Sally Richards | Aviva Press Office | 07789 270677 | sally.richards@aviva.com
Notes to editors
* Aviva Claims Data 2012-2014, unless stated otherwise
** Aviva Claims Data 2005-14
*** The British Red Cross Emergency app is available to download today from the app store or google play for android users and more information can be found on the British Red Cross website, here: www.redcross.org.uk/emergencyapp
About Aviva
- Aviva provides life insurance, general insurance, health insurance and asset management to 34* million customers, across 16 markets worldwide
- In the UK we are the leading insurer serving one in every four households and have strong businesses in selected markets in Europe, Asia and Canada. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE100 index.
- Aviva’s asset management business, Aviva Investors, provides asset management services to both Aviva and external clients, and currently manages over £245 billion in assets.
- Aviva helps people save for the future and manage the risks of everyday life; we paid out £24.6 billion in benefits and claims in 2014.
- By serving our customers well, we are building a business which is strong and sustainable, which our people are proud to work for, and which makes a positive contribution to society.
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* Before the deduction of overlapping customers.