The credit crunch is forcing people to consider economising by making cuts to their insurance. Conclusions drawn, however, from a recent Virgin Money survey were that people living in certain areas should not hastily cancel their policies. Research has revealed certain geographical regions are worse for burglary, criminal damage and flooding than others and the results (in some cases) are surprising.
According to the article “The most likeliest places to be burgled” if you live in Doncaster, Nottingham, Sheffield and Middlesborough you really ought to be shopping for home insurance. Recent findings have revealed a burglary concentration in these towns compared with England and Wales maintaining that residents of these places should think twice before cancelling their insurance policies.
Do you live in a safe part of England?
The safest areas in England and Wales are (in order of the safest first) Kensington and Chelsea, Dudley, Poole, Brighton and Hove, Wandsworth, Lewisham, City of Westminster, Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Southend. These towns and boroughs scored highly in terms of safety by taking into consideration the criteria of ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ presence, levels of police officers on patrol in an area as well as data held at the National Office of Statistics, the Home Office, the Association of Police Authorities and the Environment Agency.
To say that the Kensington and Chelsea borough was a burglar free zone would be an untruth! This is an area of considerable wealth and so a magnet for any thief with ambitious tendencies. The findings of this Virgin Money survey can prove somewhat confusing, with Kensington and Chelsea (regarded the safest place to live) regarded as less of a flood risk and criminal damage target experiencing high levels of burglary. Overall however, insurers regard this particular borough as ‘low risk’ therefore keeping premiums low for the residents.
Where the location of your home hugely affects your insurance premiums, in order to economise you need to ask yourself if you live in a safe area.
Tags: home insurance