Homeowners across the UK have seen a 1.2% drop in average home insurance premiums thanks to a reduction in break-ins and water damage claims resulting from lockdown, according to Consumer Intelligence. The number of household thefts have reduced to as little as 3% of claims in the last six months, due to the fact that we are all at home acting as a deterrent to thieves.
John Blevins, head of product at Consumer Intelligence, said there is “no doubt” that the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns implemented to combat it are “responsible for these shifts, given there is a reduction in overall claims being made”.
ACCIDENTAL DAMAGE CLAIMS STILL RISING
On the reverse side, accidental damage claims have risen substantially over the last year. A continued period of lockdown means that millions of workers are still at home and some form of home based working is looking as though it will become the norm. Accidental damage and floods are two of the top claims this year. One top insurance company reports that 40% of current domestic claims are for re-decorating and renovating as a result of accidental damage.
Many insurers saw a sharp increase in accidental claims, month on month, compared to last year. The figure is on the increase even as lockdown starts to ease. Workers are still facing long periods of time indoors, working, exercising and entertaining at home and this is the time that accidents have been happening.
RESTORATION OVER REPLACEMENT
At Plastic Surgeon, the insurance claims department has experienced an increase in the number of requests as insurers switch to a restoration over replacement policy.
Lauren Robson, Insurance Services Account Manager for Plastic Surgeon explains:
“As sustainability becomes a bigger issue for us all, over 75% of accidental damage claims for hard surface repairs can be fixed by employing the skills of a specialist repair company.
As technology improves, so does the quality of the repairs we can make. Homeowners are often disappointed when they are not offered a replacement, but this often turns to delight when they see how good the quality of the repair is without the hassle, inconvenience and time that a replacement process often entails.
As an example, a finisher can restore a crack or burn mark in a kitchen work surface with one quick home visit. Alternatively, the homeowner would need to source a new worktop and get several tradesmen in to deliver it, replace it, retile the surround and dispose of the damaged item creating landfill.”
CONCLUSION
As the trend for home working seems to be continuing and our lifestyles have changed for the foreseeable future, insurance companies are seeing a shift in claims patterns and will need to make suitable adjustments. John Blevins explained “As with any insurance, claims frequency and severity will dictate pricing movements and as the world shifts to slowly reducing Covid-19 restrictions, we will expect to see small shifts in pricing as a result.”