Property owners need to make sure they have home insurance in place during the cold snap in case of unforeseen incidents, it has been said.
Halifax recommended that people keep an eye out for burst or leaking pipes, which can not only damage the inside of a property, but also its structure.
"The average cost to repair damage caused by a burst pipe is around £2,000, so it is worth ensuring the home is properly insured," noted senior claims manager Martyn Foulds.
Electrical problems may also arise as a result of the bad weather, the company revealed, with burst pipes likely to make the situation even worse.
There are a number of precautions people can take to help prevent pipes from bursting, such as installing loft insulation and protecting the outside of a water tank.
Halifax also commented that a number of boilers have a frost protection thermostat on them which automatically switches on if the temperature falls below a certain level.
Should a pipe burst, homeowners need to turn off the mains water supply, which is often located under the sink or where the service pipe goes into the property, the company stated.
Cold taps then need to be run in order to drain the water system and any liquid should be caught in buckets.
Aside from the problems associated with pipes, homeowners may find they are faced with snow storms at the moment, which means they should have an emergency kit to hand, Halifax said.
This should include a torch with spare bulbs and batteries and home insurance documents.
Some areas of the UK have experienced loss of power due to the bad weather, including 5,000 households in Sussex, Kent and Surrey.
Furthermore, power cuts affected 20,000 properties in Hampshire after around one-and-a-half feet of snow fell in the region. |
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