The Lowest Burglary Rates in the UK

If you’re thinking about moving to a city in the UK, you may be interested in finding out which areas have the lowest rates of crime.

According to a survey conducted last year, the safest place to live in the UK is Eastbourne. This city was revealed to have the lowest burglary rates in the whole of the UK! Using data from insurance companies, it was proven that the BN23 postcode had the joint lowest incidences of burglaries throughout the country.

Way back in 2006, burglary statistics in Eastbourne were the worst in the whole of Sussex. Since 2007, however, burglary rates had fallen by 39%, more than double the targeted drop of 15%. This was the result of a major project commissioned by Sussex Police, working together with the Community Safety Partnership to catch and convict burglars locally. The Partnership is an organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life and the environment in problem areas.

A similar report focused around London showed that the safest areas of the city in which to live are the boroughs of Kensington, Chelsea, and Wandsworth. However, these rankings were based on other criminal factors as well as burglary, and Kensington and Chelsea rated highly even though burglary levels in those areas are actually relatively high. It just goes to show that you have to really look at data rather than just taking anything at face value!

Investigating the safety of an area before you buy property and move is essential, not only for your personal security and that of your family, but also because it can affect the amount you have to pay for comprehensive home insurance. Houses in areas where burglary is considered a high risk will cost more to insure than houses in relatively risk free areas, so take this into consideration.

You can find information about different types of insurance from companies such as Endsleigh. They offer services such as content insurance.

The nation’s home insurance policy holders see a decrease of 90.4 per cent

According to the latest analysis of MoneySupermarket contents insurance quotes, the UK’s homeowners have enjoyed a decrease in the cost of their policies by an average of 0.4 per cent.

This news comes at the same time as the news that home contents insurance policyholders on the island of Jersey have seen an average decrease in the cost of their premiums of 13 per cent, while residents of South London and East London seem also to be triumphing in the battle against the UK’s home insurance cost hikes, having seen a decrease of around seven per cent. The results show that these policyholders began enjoying these reductions to their home insurance premiums in Summer 2010, and continued to do so until Spring 2011.

Other areas in the top ten areas to have enjoyed the staggering discounts include Norwich Dorchester, Exeter, Leicester, Isle of Man, Walsall and Crewe, all of which have seen reductions in the cost of their home contents insurance premiums by between four and seven per cent.

MoneySupermarket’s Julie Fisher, head of home insurance, said: “Our research shows some areas have seen more of a decrease in the cost of their premiums than others. Unfortunately, postcodes can dramatically affect how much people pay for their home insurance premium.”

She explained the likely reasons for the discounts in Jersey and South and East London: “For example in Jersey, one fifth of the population is retired, and low crime rates coupled with mild weather conditions means that the cost and frequency of claims are likely to be lower than other areas of the country. East London is undergoing significant regeneration and infrastructure improvements and insurers may be adjusting premiums as a result.”

However, it’s a rather different story for residents on the Channel Island of Guernsey. While neighbouring Jersey residents have seen a healthy reduction in the cost of their home contents insurance premiums, Guernsey folk have suffered the highest increase in the cost of their home insurance premiums – a whopping 32.24 per cent. Along similar lines, home insurance premiums for residents of Orkney’s Kirkwall and the Shetland Islands’ Lerwick have been subject to soaring increases of 21.05 per cent and 20.10 per cent increase, respectively.

Julie Fisher continued: “In the case of Guernsey, Orkney and The Shetland Islands, home insurance cover in Summer 2010 was lower than the national average premium price. It is likely that insurers have brought these prices in line with the rest of the country, rather than responding to any specific ‘occurrences’ on these islands, although climate may play a part.

“If your property is classified as being in a ‘high-risk’ area – whether for crime, flooding or even fraudulent claims – it will be reflected in your insurance premiums. Living in a more affluent area will also increase premiums as property and contents values will generally be higher. Insurers use postcodes as a part of the overall risk factors when calculating premiums. Although there is very little you can do about the postcode in which you live, except move house, there are steps you can take to reduce your premiums, such as, installing a good home security system and security lighting.” For more information on building and contents information visit money supermarket.

Home Insurance and Open Windows

Home Insurance and Open Windows

Home insurance protects your home and contents against theft or loss. If you leave a window open, however, you could put your valuables at unnecessary risk, and your claim for theft or loss might not be valid.

Home insurance can protect your valuables, including jewellery, ornaments, precious collectables, antiques and electrical goods against theft or loss. Your home insurance provider will usually offer standard or specialist home insurance depending on the level of cover you require and the value of goods you would like to insure.

Whilst your valuables, personal belongings and your home should be protected by home insurance, however you should also take steps to protect your home yourself. Leaving a window open, for example, is an easy invitation for an opportunist thief to access your house and your belongings.

In hot weather you may have several windows open at once to create a through breeze. Perhaps you might have windows open at both the front and back of the house, or even patio doors open to enjoy the summer weather. It is easy to forget that whilst you and your family use windows and doors to enjoy the house, a thief could use them to gain unauthorised entry.

The BBC reports that a third of burglars gain access through a back window, and only a very small open window is needed to make life easy for a would-be thief. If your window is above a flat roof, then it could make illegal access even easier into your home. You should therefore be vigilant about securing all windows in your home.

When you leave your home or if you will be out of a room for an extended period of time, you should always close and lock your windows. You should also store keys for the window out of sight from the outside. If possible, it is also recommended to avoid having furniture near an accessible window which could make it easier for a thief to step in and out of your house.

Crimestoppers reports that between April 2010 and March 2011, over £3 million worth of stolen goods were recovered in the UK. This figure demonstrates how expensive theft and burglary can be for homes in the UK if they are not sufficiently secured.

To protect yourself and your family, you should consider taking out home insurance and also taking necessary steps to secure the windows of your home.