Don’t leave yourself on shaky ground

The biggest earthquake in the UK for nearly 25 years, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale, may have shaken homes across large parts of England and Wales, but hopefully may also shake a few home owners into considering their home insurance.

Around 1,100 home insurance claims have been made within the first 12 hours of this morning’s earthquake, with many more expected to come in over the next couple of days. Abbey Home Insurance has already sent loss adjusters to the area to help customers affected and has made sure that its 24-hour claims line has additional staff to help cope with the expected demand.

Although many earthquakes do not gather such media attention, almost 200 take place each year in the UK. With one-in-four homes uninsured and some policies not covering earthquake damage, the potential cost of these ‘acts of god’ could be staggering.

Tony Beckwith, Director of Abbey Insurance said: "Like the floods of 2007, it is hard to prepare your home for unexpected incidents like this morning’s earthquake. These incidents can dramatically affect the structural safety of a home, but with a good insurance policy that offers comprehensive protection for your property, your ability to recover from the unexpected will be a lot easier. We would advise anyone affected to check their property, contact the relevant utility company or their insurer if they see anything unusual.“

Abbey, whose ‘Peace of Mind’ home insurance has been awarded a five star rating by Defaqto for the fourth year in a row, is recommending that people to ensure they have the appropriate cover for their homes. This is the fourth year running that Abbey has been awarded a five star rating by Defaqto, making it one of only three providers to have achieved this honour.