Press release
22 January 2010
As the country thaws and more cold weather follows,
Fortis issues urgent advice for householders
As the snow thaws across most of the UK and more cold weather arrives, householders need to take immediate action even if they were fortunate enough to avoid an escape of water during the recent cold snap. The winter period is not yet over and the thaw can present its own problems, not all of which will be visible. Fortis has issued a simple factsheet with easy to remember steps to take right now.
The advice from Fortis is:
THAW
T – Taps. The factsheet sets out what to test right now
H – Heat. Advice is included on the right things to do heating-wise
A – Attics and lofts. Basic checks need to be made now
W – Water shut off, know where it is. Fortis’ research* shows that one in seven householders don’t know where their stopcock is located which could be disastrous in an emergency.
Last year thousands of homes were affected by an escape of water; in fact 20-30 per cent of all insurance property claims are for the damage caused by an escape of water with the average household claim costing £2,000**. Following the recent snow early evidence is revealing widespread damage caused across the country.
Fortis is being supported by the British Insurance Brokers’ Association and property repairs experts Rok to help reduce the negative impact of escape of water and is offering a free-to-download, risk management advice guide for every household.
Commenting on the campaign, Gary Lobb, Head Of Operations (Household & Travel Claims) from Fortis said: “The free advice guide has some very simple checks that apply to virtually all households. They are straightforward to follow and could save a great deal of money, disruption and loss of personal items and valuable possessions. The snow may have thawed in some parts of the country which brings fresh problems and elsewhere snow is predicted again so ‘act now!’ is the advice.”
Visit www.fortisinsurance.co.uk or www.biba.org.uk to download the risk management advice guide and to find a broker in your area for straight forward advice about protecting your home from escape of water this winter. Consumers can also call the BIBA ‘find a broker’ helpline on 0870 950 1790.
– ENDS –
For further information, please contact:
Press Contacts UK:
Natalie Shale T: 023 8035 2754
M: 07786 034757 Fortis UK E:
Leighann Burtrand T: 020 7397 0223 BIBA E:
Notes for editors:
* Fortis commissioned an online poll with Populus in November 2009. The research was conducted with 1682 householders. 85% knew where the shut off valve is; therefore one in seven did not.
** Source:Association of British Insurers
About Fortis:
Fortis (Insurance UK) is a leading provider of award-winning personal and commercial lines insurance solutions in the UK. Fortis UK has two main divisions, manufacturing both non-life and life products, which are distributed through a range of channels including brokers, IFAs, intermediaries, affinity partners and the Internet, as well as various wholly or partially-owned companies (RIAS, Fortis Insurance Solutions, Affinity Solutions, Text2Insure and InsureTECH Systems).
Insuring around 7 million customers and working with a range of partners, Fortis is recognised for delivering consistent and high-quality customer experiences. It employs almost 3,000 people with a head office based in Eastleigh and others in Belfast, Bournemouth, Gloucester, Haywards Heath, London, Redditch, Reigate and Stoke-on-Trent. In 2008, its non-life profit before tax and interest was £76 million and its non-life GWP was £760 million. Fortis launched a life and protection business in July 2008.
Fortis (Insurance UK) is part of Fortis, a global insurance group of significant scale with over EUR14bn turnover, 20 million customers and 10,000 employees worldwide.
About British Insurance Brokers' Association:
The British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) is the UK’s leading general insurance organisation representing the interests of insurance brokers, intermediaries and their customers.
BIBA membership includes 1700 regulated firms. Insurance brokers and intermediaries distribute nearly two-thirds of all UK general insurance. In 2007, insurance brokers and intermediaries generated £1.5 billion of invisible earnings and they introduce £22 billion of premium income into London’s insurance market each year.
BIBA is the voice of the industry, advising members, the regulators, the Government, consumer bodies and other stakeholders on key insurance issues. BIBA provides unique schemes and facilities, technical advice, guidance on regulation and business support and is helping to raise, and maintain, industry standards. BIBA works closely with the Chartered Insurance Institute to provide training to those working in the industry and actively participates in helping the industry and its customers deal with some of the major issues of the day.
BIBA members provide professional advice to businesses and consumers, playing a key role in identification, measurement, management, control and transfer of risk. They negotiate appropriate insurance protection tailored to individual needs and operate to a very high standard of customer service with the aim of ensuring peace of mind, security, financial protection and the professional advice required.
About Rok
Rok plc's shares are listed on the Official List of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol ROK. The Group specialises in relationship based service delivery providing building, repairs and refurbishment, and response maintenance services that are tailored to local needs and customers' wishes supported by the resources and expertise of one of the industry's leading players.
Rok is one of the UK's leading providers of claims management and building repairs services to the insurance sector. Further information on the Group can be accessed at www.rokgroup.com.