Marks and Spencer will be providing extra protection against cold weather-related plumbing problems through its home insurance package.
Customers can choose to add home emergency cover to their policy to ensure they will not have the expense of an unexpected bill to pay for emergencies such as leaking pipes or a broken boiler . The insurer is promoting the feature after it saw the number of home emergency claims shoot up during the winter.
David Wells, head of insurance at M&S, said: “We have seen three times as many home emergency claims during the winter compared to the summer months, including a 200 per cent increase in the number of claims for water damage such as burst pipes .”
It is expected that the number of claims will rise even more throughout January and February as the cold weather puts pressure on heating and plumbing systems . M&S is also offering additional advice for minimising home emergencies during the winter.