Avoid being "caught out" by cold weather

Homeowners are being urged to ensure that they are not "caught out" by the wintry weather that has hit Britain.

Despite Britain already being struck by significant amounts of wintry weather this year and reports that more is on the way, new research has shown that a significant number of people are failing to protect their property.

Indeed, figures published by AXA show that the average home insurance claim over the past few months has been for damage costing some £30,000 to repair, although in some cases this has risen considerably.

And now could be a good time for people to consider contents and buildings insurance, as a fifth of households do not have any protection in place for their possessions.

"We are worried that despite all the warning signs, a number of homeowners still got caught out by the cold weather this winter with significant damage to their property and possessions," AXA's Nick Kidd states.

Speaking last month, Equifax external affairs director Neil Munroe claimed that instead of cancelling their cover, those concerned about how much their household insurance is costing them should compare accounts for a better deal elsewhere.

By Emma North