According to the research from Confused.com, causing 111,426 incidents in the last decade, cookers and ovens are the appliances most likely to leave you claiming on your home insurance and have caused almost 5 times (397%) more incidents than grills and toasters in second place.
Fire rescue service data was used to reveal the regions in England, Scotland and Wales where these incidents were most common.
Most common in Scotland, 35 per 10,000 Scottish residents have damaged their homes due to the use of an oven or cooker. This is 119% more than the incidents in Wales, where just 16 per 10,000 residents have damaged their property with an oven or cooker.
Grills and toasters are in second, causing damage to 22,407 homes in Great Britain in the last decade. While that’s only equivalent to 20% of the incidents caused by ovens and cookers, grills/toasters have still caused 78% more incidents than microwaves (12,590 incidents). Of the 17,107 accidents in England, 5% (892) occurred in Merseyside: that’s 6 for every 10,000 residents, and the most in England overall.
Rings and hot plates are in third, damaging 21,737 UK homes in the past decade. This is just 3% fewer incidents than those caused by grills/toasters in the past decade (22,407). Most commonly occurring in Scotland, 7 in 10,000 Scottish residents had their homes damaged by a ring or hot plate since 2011. In England, Greater Manchester is home to the most accidents from rings/hot plates, at 5 in every 10,000 residents.
Jessica Willock, home insurance expert at Confused.com, comments: “Ensuring your appliances are used when it’s safe to do so, as well as kept in a good working condition is important. Not only can they be expensive to replace, but misuse of appliances can cause damage to the home, resulting in a home insurance claim.
“As our study suggests, appliances used for cooking are most likely to leave you claiming on your home insurance. For this reason, it’s important to consistently double-check that these appliances are safe for use:
- Make sure your oven or cooker is free from excess grease. A build-up of flammable liquids significantly increases the chances of a fire causing damage to your home.
- Check plugs and sockets for damage. Unusual burn marks or buzzing sounds are a clear sign that your appliance may need repairing or replacing.
- Become familiar with your appliance’s features. Appliances such as grills and hobs will have different needs depending on the model, and knowledge of these reduces the risk of an insurance claim.
- Use the correct equipment. Cookware such as pots and pans will be manufactured to withstand different conditions, so make sure your equipment can handle whatever heat you need.
- Never leave your cooking unattended. Doing this can prevent you from stopping a potential emergency before it gets out of control, and prevents unwanted damage to your property.
Jessica concludes: “Keeping appliances clean and working correctly is not only safer, but it could extend their lifespan. If your appliance is beyond repair, having a home appliance insurance policy should protect you. It means you could be offered a new model similar to the one you already have.”
