Householders facing £2bn bill for big freeze as warmer weather sweeps in

Simon Bristow

MILLIONS of Britons will be forced to pay for hefty snow-related repairs to their homes out of their own pockets.

The cost of last month’s big freeze on households topped 2bn, and millions of homes were uninsured.

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An estimated 5.9 million homes were hit with average repair bills of 343, a report by home emergency and repair firm HomeServe revealed.

Its research suggests that just one-in-five of those households, or 21 per cent, were insured for the emergency.

That means a total of 4,779,000 households were uninsured – and 472,000 of those claim they cannot afford repair costs.

Boiler repair call-outs hit a massive 2.2 million households during the big freeze, with average bills of 351.

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That headline figure represented almost one-in-10 households and proved to be the most common problem. A total of 1.24 million households suffered central heating misery, paying an average 294 for repairs.

The most costly repair was for roof damage, hitting a total of 999,000 households and costing 546 on average to put right.

The survey also reveals that the North-East was hardest hit during the cold snap, with 42 per cent of people suffering home emergencies. Chief executive of HomeServe Membership Jon Florsheim said: “Having to cope without hot water and heating, or suffering a burst pipe or leaking roof, is distressing enough but for many people receiving the repair bill is the biggest upset.

“The recent cold snap will see many households wondering how they will pay for these unanticipated costs.”

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Concerns of further problems caused by the return of a cold snap over recent days appear to have eased however, with forecasters predicting warmer, rainy weather to move in from the west today.

Weather: Back Page.

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