More vigilance needed with home safety checks

Although we’re very good at putting home security features in place we’re not so good at checking that they are still working, according to a survey by Legal & General.

The survey which asked people for their views on their home security and safety revealed that over 80% have a smoke alarm and nearly 30% a security alarm in their home. And although less than 10% said that they have never checked their smoke alarm, worryingly over 50% admitted that they have never checked their security alarm.

This would also appear to be true of other measures we should take to protect our homes against risks like fire and water damage. For example:

50% of those surveyed have never checked the wiring in their property.

With colder weather increasing the possibility of freezing conditions, 33% admitted that they had never checked their loft insulation, 34% had never checked their pipes and lagging and 28% had never checked their boiler.

38% have never checked their drains and 25% their guttering and given heavy rainfall is common in December these simple checks could help prevent water damage to a property.

Elaine Parkes, head of technical services for Legal & General’s general insurance business said: "The survey has helped us gain a better understanding of today’s homeowners’ security and safety concerns but it is clear that we need to improve awareness of the precautions and checks we all should take to protect our homes. As a leading household insurer, knowing our customers’ concerns helps us meet the insurance needs of their changing homes. We can then develop products and services to let busy Brits get on with their lives, knowing their home is safe.

Elaine continued; “Installing a burglar alarm, good quality locks and security lighting or living in a Neighbourhood Watch area are all good preventative measures to help keep our homes secure. But a few simple checks could mean that our properties are safer and so avoid the need to make a claim under a household insurance policy.”

As part of the household insurance cover provided to customers, Legal & General offers home emergency cover so if customers do experience a problem such as a water leak from frozen pipes, they may call a tradesperson to carry out an emergency repair, free of charge up to the value of £150.

Details of the household insurance cover from Legal & General is available online at legalandgeneral.com.