| Insurance companies are bracing themselves for a | | | | goes if you live in a flood-risk area. Understanding the |
| possible rise in home insurance claims, following the | | | | risks you are exposed to and regularly checking your |
| July 1st smoking ban. With people banned from | | | | insurance policy, will give you security and peace of |
| smoking in public places, insurance companies are | | | | mind. It may also be worth taking this opportunity to |
| predicting an increase in the numbers of people | | | | research available home insurance offerings - with |
| smoking in the home, thereby increasing the risk of | | | | such good deals currently in the marketplace, there |
| home fires and insurance claims. | | | | has never been a better time to find the right policy |
| According to recent research by the financial services | | | | for your individual needs. |
| provider, Abbey, 425,000 fires are started in homes | | | | If you or others are going to be smoking in your |
| each year by smoking materials, causing damages | | | | home, you may also want to take on board some |
| worth an average of £25,500. In addition, a | | | | sensible precautionary tips. The following DCLG |
| Department for Communities and Local Government | | | | guidance, for example, could prevent a fire in your |
| (DCLG) announcement in January of this year | | | | home: |
| revealed that smoking was the biggest cause of | | | | - Take extra care when you're tired, taking any sort |
| fire-related deaths in the home. Nearly a third of all | | | | of drugs or have been drinking alcohol. |
| households have a smoker living in them, with an | | | | - Never smoke in bed - if you need to lie down, don't |
| average of 132 deaths and 1,600 injuries a year | | | | light up. You could doze off and set your bed on fire. |
| caused by accidental home fires related to smoking | | | | - Never leave lit cigarettes, cigars or pipes |
| materials. A Direct Line Home Insurance survey also | | | | unattended - they can easily overbalance as they |
| suggests that following the ban, an additional 16 | | | | burn down. |
| million cigarettes may now be smoked indoors every | | | | - Buy child-resistant lighters and matchboxes - every |
| week, resulting in a possible increase from 60 to 100 | | | | year children die by starting fires with matches and |
| smoking-related house fires per week. For smokers, | | | | lighters. Keep these where children can't reach them. |
| it makes uncomfortable reading, but it may also have | | | | - Use a proper, heavy ashtray that can't tip over |
| implications for your home insurance. | | | | easily and is made of a material that won't burn. |
| Depending on where you live, you may already have | | | | Make sure your cigarette is not still burning when you |
| some concerns over your future home insurance | | | | are finished - put it out, right out. |
| premiums, especially if you have been affected by | | | | - Tap your ash into an ashtray, never a wastebasket |
| the recent flooding across the UK. If claims are also | | | | containing other rubbish - and don't let the ash or |
| to rise due to smoking-related home fires, you may | | | | cigarette ends build up in the ashtray. |
| be worried that the cost of your home insurance will | | | | - Fit and maintain a smoke alarm - when a fire starts, |
| soar. Thankfully, however, home insurance premiums | | | | you only have a few minutes to escape. A working |
| are currently very favourable, with the index of | | | | smoke alarm can buy you valuable time to get out, |
| average quoted premiums on home contents | | | | stay out and dial 999. You can get a basic smoke |
| insurance falling by 3.22% year on year. Buildings | | | | alarm for the same price as a packet of cigarettes. |
| insurance cover (as a homeowner, you will need both | | | | Better still are smoke alarms with long-life batteries |
| building and contents insurance), is also competitively | | | | or are mains-powered. And, of course, if you're a |
| priced with average premiums falling by 0.20% year | | | | smoker suffering the consequences of the smoking |
| on year. | | | | ban, perhaps now is the time to bite the bullet and |
| What you do need to ensure, however, is that you | | | | give up. After all, it may not only save you a |
| are adequately covered for these potentially | | | | home-insurance claim, but will also have a rather |
| increased risks. Especially if you smoke or live with a | | | | pleasant impact on the price of your life insurance |
| smoker, you need to ensure that your existing policy | | | | and, of course, your quality of life in general. |
| covers you in the event of fire; indeed, the same | | | | |