M&S Home Insurance offers home emergency cover

The freezing conditions across the UK this winter have led to a large increase in the number of householders making home emergency insurance claims including for burst pipes, according to M&S Home Insurance.

New figures from M&S Home Insurance reveal that the most common type of home insurance emergency claim over the 2009 winter months was for water claims, including burst pipes.

David Wells, M&S Head of Insurance, said: ‘We have seen three times as many home emergency claims during the winter compared to the summer months, including a 200% increase in the number of claims for water damage such as burst pipes.

‘We're expecting the number of claims to increase throughout January and February as the severe weather puts a greater strain on central heating systems and household plumbing systems.

‘At this time of year, if you don't have emergency insurance cover, unexpected plumbing bills are not going to be welcomed. Certified plumbers called out to fix a leaking pipe can charge around £65-85 an hour subject to where you live in the UK-and, depending upon how long it takes to repair the problem, costs can add up.  That's also assuming the actual emergency call out is free.'

M&S Home Insurance customers have the option of adding home emergency cover to their policy, giving them extra protection against home emergencies such as plumbing problems relating to leaking pipes or failure of the central heating system or boiler.

M&S Money suggests the following simple steps to minimise the risks of home emergencies during cold weather conditions:

Know where your main stopcock is and make sure you can turn it off and on

Avoid frozen pipes - insulate pipes to stop them from freezing

Give your heating system a regular MOT - during periods of very cold weather boiler condensate traps or discharge pipes may freeze and prevent boilers from operating  

Maintain your roof and exterior of the home - clear guttering and drains from leaves and other blockages

If you're going away, leave the heating on to maintain a constant temperature of 15 degrees centigrade and remove/raise the loft hatch to ensure that the loft space is kept warm to prevent pipes freezing in the loft area.

Marks & Spencer home insurance is available online at marksandspencer.com/homeinsurance.