Sainsbury's Finance Warns Against Underinsurance in Wake of Recent Increase of Burglaries and Thefts

    LONDON, ENGLAND, November 18, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sainsbury's Home Insurance is warning homeowners to take better home security precautions to protect themselves against burglary and theft, following the news that domestic burglaries have risen by 2.8% in the three months to the end of June this year compared to the same period last year. New claims analysis from Sainsbury's home insurance reveals that during the same period, the number of home insurance claims for theft, which includes domestic burglaries and thefts of items such as bicycles from outside the home, decreased by 13%, and it is warning that this could be a sign that fewer people are taking out home insurance policies.

Research undertaken earlier this year by Sainsbury's Home Insurance revealed that in the last 12 months, nearly an estimated million (946,000) people have either cancelled their home contents insurance or reduced the amount of cover they have as a direct consequence of their financial situation.

According to Sainsbury's Home Insurance, theft currently accounts for around 15% of all home insurance claims. Sainsbury's Finance is urging homeowners to take better precautions with their home security.

Ben Tyte, Sainsbury's Home Insurance Manager, said: "A rise in burglaries may not be a surprise during a recession but what is alarming is the decrease in theft-related claims over the same period which we fear may indicate that fewer people have adequate home contents cover in place. A significant proportion of all home insurance claims relate to theft, and we would urge homeowners to make sure their home security is up to scratch and that they have adequate home contents cover."

"The average home insurance claim for theft is currently around GBP1,370 and in many cases is much higher, which goes to show that if you are not insured, becoming a burglary victim could severely hit your pocket."

Sainsbury's Home Insurance offers the following advice for homeowners:

Easily visible window locks can provide a good deterrent

Remove keys from locked windows and doors

Invest in an exterior security light that switches on when it detects movement

Buy a burglar alarm that is easily visible and approved (look out for British Standard BS4737) and
make sure you activate it when your home is left unattended

Don't leave spare keys in obvious places such as under doormats

Make sure your home insurance policy covers valuable items such as bicycles or laptops outside of the home

If in any doubt, contact your local police station and ask your local Crime Prevention Officer to visit

Sainsbury's shoppers are rewarded with double Nectar points on their shopping in store, online and in petrol filling stations for two years when taking out Sainsbury's Home Insurance. Customers who spend GBP50 a week with Sainsbury's and have Sainsbury's Home Insurance as well as a Nectar card would receive GBP52 worth of Nectar points a year.

About Sainsbury's Home Insurance:
As well as being competitively priced, the bank also offers an extensive range of cover and benefits. This includes:

Unlimited buildings cover

Unlike some home insurers, Sainsbury's Bank does not apply charges for customers paying their premiums by direct debit

Maximum no-claims discount of up to 30%

No-claims discount protection

Cover for accidental damage - even by pets

Sainsbury's provide a wide range of financial services including credit cards, loans, personal loans, savings account, pet insurance, life insurance, home insurance and car insurance. Visit www.sainsburysbank.co.uk now to find out more.

For further information, please contact:
Phil Anderson / Ian Morris
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
020 7282 1031/1037

Notes to Editors
(1) Home Office, October 2009: domestic burglaries recorded by the 43 forces in England and Wales in the three months to the end of June rose to 67,000 compared with 65,200 in the same period last year.
(2) Analysis of Sainsbury's Home Insurance Claims Index
(3) The consumer omnibus research of 2048 GB adults aged 18 or over was carried out online by ICM between 30th January and 1st February 2009. ICM uses a large sample size that reflects the demographic profile of the UK. Given this it is possible to extrapolate figures and make projections from the research results within appropriate confidence intervals. So 5% of the UK adult population of 45.89 million is 2.3m. Figures are estimates.
(4)Dependent on the number of years you have remained claimed free
(5) Terms and conditions apply - additional premium required

Sainsbury's Finance:
To view our latest press releases and product information, please visit the Sainsbury's Finance online media centre at www.sainsburysfinance.co.uk/media.

Sainsbury's Finance offers a range of quality, competitively priced, award-winning products. It opened for business on 19th February 1997 and was the UK's first supermarket bank. It is a 50:50 joint venture with Sainsbury's and Lloyds Banking Group.

Sainsbury's Finance offers the following products: Credit Cards and Loans, a range of Savings products and Car Insurance, Life Insurance, Home Insurance, Travel Insurance and Pet Insurance.

For further information and general Sainsbury's Finance enquiries customers can call the freephone number on 0500 40 50 60 or visit www.sainsburysfinance.co.uk

Notes to editors/webmasters
If using this article on a website, please link to www.sainsburysbank.com using the following hyperlink text at the bottom of the article:

http://www.sainsburysfinance.co.uk/insuring/ins_homeinsurance_hom_skip.shtml

http://www.sainsburysbank.co.uk/investing/ins_travelmoney_tmo_skip.shtml

# # #