Impact of winter on home insurance shown

The winter that has just past saw double the amount of home insurance claims from weather-related damage than what is normally expected.

According to the Association of British Insurers (ABI), £255 million was paid out to 66,600 homeowners and business customers for property damage in January and December.

The vast majority of these came from homes, with a common example being damage to a roof caused by snow.

Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at ABI, said: Insurers will always respond quickly to the large number of claims that often result from bad weather.

From dealing with snow damaged roofs, burst pipes, to repairing or replacing vehicles damaged by treacherous driving conditions, insurers helped their customers get through the snow and the freezing temperatures.

Landlords were recently warned that they should take out an insurance policy that covers them for any loss of earning as a result of damage cause by the wintry conditions.