Today, with the great impact of dangerous emissions affecting the Ozone layer leading to unpredictable changes in weather, together at a time where economic difficulties seem to be getting worse with the threat of the credit crunch leading towards a recession, people can only be left holding on tight to what they have.
But still, as the credit crunch continues to hit Britain with the ongoing talks on a possible recession, and as more people avoid using their heaters as the so called 'summer' season turns into winter, it's only best to be safe than sorry and to take that extra step in protecting your homes as well as our pockets. So what measures do you have to take to protect your home?
The Association of British Insurers, (ABI) stated that many people insure their homes and possessions through the understanding that if anything may happen to their home due to the typical British weather, their home insurance policy will cover the costs of any damage.
It is believed that as storms rage across the country, thousands of homeowners will discover they don't have the protection they need.
Earlier this year, Sainsbury's Bank revealed that 1.78m homeowners do not have building insurance while 656,000 homeowners are not aware of the cover they have.
The ABI emphasises that "Insurance is not a maintenance contract and is no substitute for keeping the property in a reasonable state of repair." If the insurer believes that the damage has been caused because you have failed to take reasonable precautions to take care of the property, the damage may not be covered or may be reduced if it is believed that the damage was made worse due to poor maintenance.
According to the ABI, a lot can be done to reduce the risk of suffering weather damage.
If your home is in an area which is prone to flooding, it is essential that you ensure that your home insurance covers flood damage. Homeowers are advised if they live in high flood risk areas, electricity metres should be moved higher to guarantee they are out of flood depth. It is also important to use water resistant materials when fitting units into the home as well as providing space for sandbags in case of a flooding emergency.
The ABI also suggests that clearing out drain pipes regularly allowing water to pass through rather than over flow along the sides of the house may avoid causing major damage to the exterior of the home. Preventing other pipes in the home from freezing is also a necessary step to take when taking measures to protect the home. By leaving the heating on low allowing warm air to pass from other parts from the house can help prevent this.
Earlier this month, forecasters believed that September could be the record month for rainfall causing further debates as pressure arose on those in high flood risk areas. Many home insurance premiums have already increased due to previous damage from last year's floods which cost insurers over 3bn.
Arti is the author of my articles pertaining to home insurance.
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