LV= General Insurance (LV= GI) is warning consumers to keep a close eye on items which cause fire hazards as claims from incidents involving electrical appliances and candles rise considerably.
Overall, fire claims have risen by 40% between 2021 and 2022.
According to LV= GI new claims data, fires from candles rose an astonishing 1600% within one month from November to December 2021 and accounted for the highest number of candle related claims seen in the last few years.
Martin Milliner, claims director at LV= General Insurance, said: “There are so many hazards out there that will easily start a fire and we want to warn consumers about the risks through the insight and increase in claims we’re seeing.
“As the weather gets colder and we edge towards Christmas, we’re all going to be looking for alternative ways to heat and run our homes, and it’s about doing this in the safest way possible.
He advised: “Even small checks such as making sure sockets aren’t overloaded with Christmas lights will make a difference, as it doesn’t need to be a large item to spark and create a fire.”
However, when looking at fire claims by overall volume, electrical appliances top the list and account for the highest number of fire claims.
Electrical appliances, which account for around 23% of claims, have risen by 45% in a year from October 2021 to 2022.
Most common cases involved an overloaded plug socket, used to power a TV, computer, printer and CCTV monitoring security system, a fire from a tumble dryer, a hairdryer which was left on and overheated and an electrical fault linked to a hot water cylinder.
Looking at claims within the kitchen, accidental cooking fires accounted for 11% of fire claims and generally involved items accidentally left on a hob which is switched on.
LV= GI has also seen an increase for such incidents, jumping up 66% from October 2021 to 2022.
It’s not just items around the home leaving consumers vulnerable to large scale fire claims.
LV= GI recorded home claims where the age of a home and its electrical wiring has sparked a fire.
94% of electrical wiring related fires happened in properties built pre-1992, before the British Standards Institute introduced wiring regulations, leaving homeowners at risk if fuse boxes and mains electrics aren’t checked.
LV= recommends that homeowners have electrical inspections every five to 10 years to determine the safety and condition of wiring within the house and can also indicate whether any work needs to be carried out.
