Homeowners Warned Over DIY Gas Work

CORGI, the gas safety body, has warned householders that they risk invalidating their home insurance if they tinker with their own electrics or gas appliances rather than using professional tradesmen.

Due to the credit crunch, 41.4% of consumers admitted they were more likely to try to do work themselves, but CORGI says it could also lead to an increase in fatalities as well as creating insurance problems. Only 15% of respondents said they would always use a professional tradesman.

The research, carried out for the Gas Safe Register, found that while 82% of those questioned considered it dangerous to fit a gas fire themselves, one in 10 were still prepared to do so.

Incorrectly fitted, badly repaired or poorly maintained gas appliances are a major cause of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, and can also lead to gas leaks and explosions.

On average 25 people a year die from CO poisoning, while 40 people a year are killed or injured in gas explosions.

Ann Robinson, Gas Safe Register's director of public awareness, said: "If anyone thinks DIY gas work can save them money, they should think again. For the sake of a few pounds, they risk endangering the life of anyone who lives in that property."

Important Small Print Warnings to Homeowners

With the recent spell of cold weather, it would seem that the biggest insurance-related news would concern the risk of freezing pipes, or the dramatic increase of car insurance claims over the past week. The Guardian, however, is warning today of the effect a past conviction can have on your home insurance – and blaming the increase of void policies on the internet.

One of the most important factors is that your home insurance may well be void even if your conviction is considered minor. The case of Michelle Barber shows a gross lack of information: ‘Her home was wrecked by fire in 2007 and she now faces a bill for more than £240,000 because she failed to mention a £150 fine imposed three years earlier for an overpayment of benefits,’ The Guardian reports. She simply was not aware that such a small fine would count, and had even forgotten about it by the time she had taken out her policy.

Similarly, it is important to be aware that admission to past convictions relates to anyone who is living in the house. This includes family members, and even tenants of landlords who may not have felt the need to admit a conviction, or who also may not know the risk to the cover of the property themselves.

The reasons for these increasing problems are twofold. Firstly, when individuals are convicted, the courts do not inform them of the negative affects it could have on their future attempts to take out insurance policies. Secondly, the growing trend for people to shop for their insurance cover on the internet is highlighting that not all of the comparison and insurance websites are as clear about the implications of past convictions as they perhaps should be, and some tend to only offer an ‘assumptions about you’ button that is easily dismissible with the tick of a box.

This backlash against some online insurance sites comes almost immediately after Which? Magazine accused specific sites of offering inaccurate information in regards to insurance and so-called compulsory excesses which make the policy seem cheaper than it is. This, of course, was met with a flurry of responses from companies claiming that they had been lumped in with the bad guys when their own information was presented clearly, and there I am sure that they are justified.

The online insurance marketplace is incredibly varied with good and bad in regards to a number of variables such as usability, price, and information presentation. That said, I also acknowledge that there is a certain lack of fairness when minor convictions that seem to have so little relationship with home insurance can even affect a policy, regardless of the company. And this is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed.

Subsidence Causes Risks and Prevention

Subsidence, in regards to housing, is when a building’s foundations begin to sink due to ground movement. Consequently and over time, this can cause significant cosmetic and structural damage to your home, but it can also be covered by suitable home insurance policies.

There are several causes for subsidence when it comes to typical residential areas. Surprisingly, about three quarters of subsidence claims are made from homeowners whose houses are built on clay, hence soil type can make an important difference when it comes to the likelihood of subsidence occurring, as an example clay contracts in very warm weather and expands when moist.

Vegetation can also be a problem. Tree roots draw moisture from the soil, again, causing shrinkage especially during warm weather. Similarly, damaged underground drains can also be a cause of subsidence often due to erosion underneath the surface of your home.

Homes that are at most risk are in areas where a high proportion of underground soil is clay-based. Geographically, this is most likely to be in the South East, including Norfolk, London, Kent, and the South. Statistically, subsidence occurs in one in 50 homes in London and the rate has increased as summers have got hotter and drier.

One of the most logical ways to prevent subsidence on your home is to frequently cut back any trees in your garden. Similarly, if you plan to plant any more, they should generally be the same distance from your home as they are in height. It is also important to be aware of the thirstiness of your trees, for instance, Elms and Willows soak up far more water than evergreens.

At this point, it is important to acknowledge that any crack that appears in your plaster or paintwork may not be due to subsidence. Over time, buildings move naturally because of their own weight and what is contained within. It is best to seek advice if cracks are more than a millimetre thick and begin to appear diagonally in weak areas, but purely cosmetic hair-lines are easy to fix yourself.

Specialists may be needed if heavy duty tree work needs to be done as consequences can sometimes be worse if a large tree is extracted completely. Also, there are certain rules for tree preservation in effect and it is best to research these before any major work needs to be done.