Named storms bring jump in home insurance claims, says Tesco Bank

The aftermath of the first named storm of the winter that hit the UK at the end of November resulted in the claims team at Tesco Bank Home Insurance having its busiest day of the year.

Storm Arwen brought severe winds across the UK overnight 26 to 27 November, disrupting thousands of people and leaving many homes and gardens damaged.

As the clear up from the storm continues, Tesco Bank Home Insurance has revealed that its claims team had its busiest day of the year on the Saturday after Storm Arwen hit, with call volumes 11 times greater than usual levels. 

Tesco Bank Home Insurance said this uplift follows the trends seen after other named storms. Claims numbers rose 16-fold after Storm Ciara in February 2020, compared to an average day. 

Storm Denis, which struck just a week later, led to an 8% uptick on the claims numbers usually seen on an average day in 2020. 

Dave Thompson, director of claims at Tesco Bank, said: “As well as tackling any damage from the recent heavy winds people should be readying their homes and gardens for potentially more extreme weather this winter. There are a few steps we can all take to batten down the hatches and reduce the risk to our properties and belongings.”

To keep homes and their contents safe this winter, Tesco Bank Home Insurance is urging its customers to secure garden equipment, trim back trees and bushes, keep an eye on the roof, check their insurance policies, prepare for heavy rain, and store away valuables.

In the event a home is damaged by a storm, customers should make sure it is safe before returning, contact their insurer, take photos of and catalogue any damage, and hold on to damaged items for inspectors to assess.

Mark Dugdale