A Stitch in Time Saves... GBP 596
AA Urges Homeowners to Think Ahead by Looking Back 12 Months
(firmenpresse) - LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 01/04/12 -- Although the unseasonably mild weather of recent weeks may have lulled the nation into a false sense of security, forecasters are predicting that harsh winter weather could arrive in the UK very shortly. And with last winter's weather causing damage in over 7 million households, leaving homeowners with a GBP 3.1bn repair bill, the AA is urging people to think back to prepare for the months ahead(i).
With the Government's new Cold Weather Plan providing advice for individuals to combat the cold, the AA's Home Emergency Response Service is advising homeowners to carry out cold weather preparations on their home, to minimise the chance of emergencies.
Last winter, the average cost of a home emergency not covered by insurance was GBP 596. The most common problems the team dealt with were plumbing related, with burst pipes or leaks accounting for 45% of all home emergency call outs. The AA advises that although sometimes leaks will be unavoidable, there are some simple measures home owners can take now, in advance of a cold spell, to help protect their pipes.
- Make sure that pipes in lofts and any exposed areas are sufficiently insulated; and remember that the thinner the diameter of the pipe, the thicker the insulation it requires
- Make sure the loft is also lagged - the current recommended depth of mineral loft insulation is 270mm
- If you're away and temperatures are due to drop, leave the loft hatch open slightly to allow warmer air to circulate
- If the house is going to be unoccupied for an extended period, turn off the stop valve and drain the system
- Even if the house is occupied, locate the main internal water stop valve so the water supply can be turned off in an emergency - normally found under the kitchen sink, under-stairs cupboard or where the service pipe enters the building. It's also worth making sure that it's not seized up and that you can operate it.
- Replace the washers on any dripping taps - drips will increase the risk of freezing - and get any leaking pipes fixed now
- If a pipe does freeze, don't defrost it with a blow torch or heat gun, just gently thaw it with a hair dryer or hot water bottle
Tom Stringer, , said: "As many of us enjoy unseasonably mild weather there is a serious danger that we will forget the extremely cold winters of the last few years and be unprepared for the inevitable annual cold snap. Our research has shown that winter emergencies can land homeowners with some hefty bills, which they might mistakenly think are covered by their standard home insurance. Others think they won't be one of the unlucky ones this year.
"We know that things do go wrong regularly, particularly in winter, and the repairs bills can be very high. We would suggest that people look carefully at their home insurance policy and if they find they are not covered, they should look at stand-alone home emergency policies to provide them with complete peace of mind."
More advice on protecting the home this winter can be found at: .
About AA Home Emergency Response
AA Home Emergency Response cover provides a network of AA Home Assist engineers supported by approved tradesmen available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are no call-out charges and optional policy excesses only apply to boiler cover and central heating cover. For work carried out under the policy, parts and labour are guaranteed. Cover is available to both existing AA members and non members.
Customers wishing to find out more information should visit: or call 0800 107 1031
(i) Research into people's experiences in winter 2010/11 carried out by ICM amongst a nationally representative sample of 2003 UK adults.
Contacts:
For media enquiries, please contact:
AA Press Office
Sue Beeson
+44 01256 492874
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Ian Morris or Brandon Stockwell
020 7638 9571
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Datum: 04.01.2012 - 15:25 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 101047
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Town:
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
Kategorie:
Family
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