Fire hazard

Is fire damage in your home a disaster waiting to happen? While the threat of fire is a key reason for taking out Direct Line Home Insurance, taking the right precautions to prevent it is equally important. Don’t wait for the sirens to sound before you take action. Here’s how to ensure you’re doing enough to protect your loved ones, your possessions and your home...

It won’t happen to me

With over 70,000 fires in the home every year in the UK, hundreds of people killed and thousands injured, the chances of it happening to you are actually not as slim as you might believe – especially if you don’t take the necessary precautions. Direct Line estimates that losses to householders from fire damage total £360 million every year but, of course, it isn’t just your home and personal possessions that are at risk – it’s your life, too. Combine the trauma of losing a loved one with the stress and hassle of replacing personal items or even your home, and making a few small changes to your home seems minimal.

But I’ve got a smoke alarm...

Having a smoke alarm isn’t enough. At the bare minimum you need to fit smoke alarms on every level of your home, then keep them free from dust and test them once a week to make sure the batteries are still working. Know your exits, keep them clear and make a fire action-plan that everyone knows and can implement. Take extra care with burning candles, don’t overload extension cables with too many appliances and, perhaps most crucial of all, if you do smoke, then never smoke in bed! Signing up to Direct Line Home Insurance can ensure that your home and possessions are protected if an accident does happen.

What happens in an emergency

Rule number one is not to panic. If you have a fire action-plan, this is the time to use it. First of all, alert everyone and if there is a lot of smoke, crawl along the floor where the air will be clearer. Don’t delay for valuables or even pets – 9 out of 10 people do. And don’t investigate the fire – call 999 and leave it to the experts. In the case of an emergency disaster to your property, such as fire, Direct Line
Buildings Insurance covers for any structural damage to your home, while
Contents Insurance provides new-for-old cover for household goods, including curtains, carpets, furniture and personal belongings in the home, garden and shed.

Both Direct Line Buildings Insurance and Direct Line Contents Insurance provide access to 24-hour Emergency plus Victim Support help lines. In addition, our Contents Insurance includes an automatic 5 percent increase in cover for several weeks either side of Christmas, (20 percent when purchasing Direct Line Home Insurance Plus), bringing extra peace of mind during the high-risk seasonal period. In both cases, make sure you report a claim as soon as you can.

More ways to wise up to fire…

www.dti.gov.uk/homesafetynetwork
www.fireservice.co.uk
www.rospa.co.uk
www.victimsupport.com

For more information on our levels of cover, please read our policy document.