Don't go undercover urges NFU Mutual

Almost a quarter of people (23%) have never reviewed their level of home contents cover, according to research from rural insurer NFU Mutual. With an increase in the number of households having plasma screen televisions and state of the art electronic equipment, this could mean that some households are in fact now under insured.

The research showed that there are a number of different reasons that people have for not checking that they have adequate cover. Over a fifth (22%) find it simpler to just keep the same level of cover year after year and a surprising 18 per cent of people did not know that they should regularly check their levels of cover.

Around the regions

There are some significant regional differences when it comes to home insurance. Worryingly, a massive 30 per cent of Londoners have opted out of having home insurance completely so would not be covered in the event of theft or weather damage.

Those in the South West though are much more sensible, with 88 per cent of those surveyed saying they do have home contents insurance.

When it comes to checking whether they have the right sum insured, those in the North East are least likely to check (28%) but their neighbours in the North West fare better with 78 per cent having reviewed in the past.

However, it is not all bad news as of those who have reviewed, nearly two thirds (63%) did so annually at the point of renewal and almost a fifth (19%) did so when they changed their provider.

Laura Wood at NFU Mutual said, “Our research shows that some of the reasons given for not reviewing include ignorance, laziness and a belief that the process is time consuming. However, it does not need to be an arduous process. You can check whether your insurance is of the right value quickly and efficiently by using the NFU Mutual home insurance contents calculator.

“By simply typing in the approximate value of the items you have around your house – including electrical goods, jewellery and items in the garden – the calculator will help you check whether you have enough cover in minutes. There really is no reason for people not to check their cover on a regular basis.

“As well as annually, other good times to review your level of cover could be when you make a large purchase, move house, begin living with someone or after a milestone event like a wedding. All of these things can make a difference to your sum insured.

“However, NFU Mutual also understands that insurance is not always front of mind. Therefore we automatically increase your sum insured in line with inflation every year. Although this gives you some peace of mind, you should still ensure you check your cover regularly.”