Protect your home from costly winter crises

Insurers dealt with £1.4bn claims during December as a result of the snow. Here's how to protect your home from costly winter damage in the future.

Thanks to the freezing weather we experienced back in December, insurers had to deal with a staggering £1.4bn of claims on property and vehicles in the UK. The Association of British Insurers (ABI), which released the figures, said this was twice the £650m claimed during the cold weather in the previous year.

During December 2010, insurers dealt with 467,000 claims for damage to homes, businesses and vehicles. For property, the biggest problem was burst pipes, with more than 100,000 claims. The cost of these claims was up 35%, at £680m, from the previous winter.

Unfortunately for us, winter isn't yet over, and although the weather appears to be better (for some of us, anyway), there's still plenty of time for another cold snap to hit us. So to make sure you're ready for it and to protect your home from costly damage in the future, here are some top tips:

Get your boiler checked

Summer is really the best time to get a boiler serviced because repair costs are generally higher in the winter months. But if yours hasn't had its annual check yet, don't put it off any longer. Check the Gas Safe Register for legally registered, safe gas engineers.

As well as checking for costly problems, the engineer should make sure that your heating is working efficiently, saving you money in cold weather.

Know what to do if a pipe bursts

Find your house's stopcock now and check everyone in the house knows how to turn it off, in order to minimise damage if a pipe does burst. If the worst does happen and a pipe bursts, turn off the stopcock, then flush the toilets and run all the taps to drain the water tank as quickly as possible.

Prevention is better than cure, though. If it's freezing outside, leave one tap in the house dripping slightly: this can prevent a burst pipe by lowering the water pressure.

Insulation, insulation, insulation

We all know that making sure your house is properly insulated will cut heating bills. Top up your loft insulation, and install cavity wall insulation if possible. This is a big job, and a major investment: see our tips, and call your local Energy Saving Trust office on 0800 512 012 for advice.

But there are lots of smaller insulation jobs that will also help. Walk around the house and do a draught check, then seal gaps around windows and doors. Check if there are any holes where pipes leave the house, and fill them.

Related how-to guide

Cut your energy bills

Fight back against rising energy prices with these top tips.

See the guide

Lag your boiler and pipes - an easy  weekend DIY job. Line curtains for extra insulation. Put foil behind radiators to reflect heat back into the room. It's also worth shopping around for the best energy tariff.

Life-saving checks

Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are vital. There's never a bad time to change the batteries and test the alarms. With the cold weather still lingering, and heaters and fires at full blast, it's even more important.

Sweep the chimney

If you have an open fire, get your chimney swept! If you don't use the chimney, block it up to conserve heat - though only do it if there's no possibility of the fire being used, otherwise it's dangerous.

The roof over your head

When was the last time you looked at your roof? Take a pair of binoculars and do a visual check for missing or cracked roof tiles. These can let damp through in the rain, and weak tiles are bad news in winter gales. On flat roofs, check for puddles.

Check your chimney pots, satellite dish and TV aerial are fixed securely, too. A quick fix now could save money later.

Stamp out damp

Make sure gutters aren't blocked with leaves. Overflowing water can weaken brickwork and even foundations, especially in old houses. Buy gutter leaf guards and ensure pipes discharge well away from the house.

Make sure window-frames aren't damp, and seal any gaps with sealant or mortar. Wooden windowsills will benefit from a coat of wood preservative. Finally, check that drip grooves underneath windowsills aren't blocked with moss.

If you suspect you might have damp, you can get a free survey from companies like Kenwood Plc or Barker Goodwin.

Trees & garden

Trim tree branches away from the house (high winds can slam branches into windows, and leaves can block gutters).

Store garden furniture so it doesn't blow away during gales, shut (and lock) tools and barbecues away to stop them rusting.

Home insurance

Check that your home insurance policy covers against damage from cold weather, floods, and frozen pipes, and any restrictions. Fences and gates may not be covered, for example.

It's possible to insure heating systems, too, though if you have a home insurance policy and a cheapish boiler, it may not be necessary. You can compare home insurance quotes at lovemoney.com.

Make a house first-aid kit

Include a torch, batteries, candles and matches, insulation tape, fuses, radiator key, WD-40, screwdriver, and penknife. Also include important phone numbers, like your insurance company helpline and a 24-hour plumbers.

More: Get a great home insurance deal | Protect your car from costly winter crises | Don't make this home insurance mistake