Burns from ironing fall as staff ditch suits and office clothes

Burns from ironing fall as staff ditch suits and office clothes while working from home

  •  Many office staff working at home in clothes that don’t need ironing, Aviva said
  •  Iron burns on carpets fell by 42 per cent compared with 2017-19, the insurer said
  •  Face masks featured in over 1,000 claims in 2020-21 as items lost or damaged

The number of home insurance claims for burns caused by irons plummeted during the pandemic as people worked from home in more casual clothing. 

Damaged carpets are usually among the most frequent claims. 

But last year, with many office staff working at home in clothes that don’t need ironing, iron burns on carpets fell by 42 per cent compared with 2017-19, Aviva said. 

In another Covid trend, the insurer also said face masks featured in more than 1,000 claims in 2020-21, as hearing aids, glasses and earrings were lost or damaged when people put on or removed their coverings. 

The number of home insurance claims for burns caused by irons plummeted during the pandemic as people worked from home in more casual clothing (stock image)

Accidental damage claims involving exercise equipment rose by 200 per cent in 2020, compared to the average in the years leading up to the pandemic, as workouts became home-based.

Tablets and phones were knocked off surfaces while people used exercise equipment.

Weights were dropped on tiles and laminate flooring. In one case, a customer’s daughter spilled water inside a TV set during a Joe Wicks exercise session, Aviva said.

Home insurance claims involving hot tubs nearly tripled in 2020.

Analysis of Aviva’s UK claims data revealed a year-on-year increase of 188 per cent, in relation to accidental damage claims for hot tubs in 2020.

Scenarios included a grass strimmer bursting an inflatable tub, birds pecking holes in a spa cover and an engagement ring ripping a tub lining.

Hot tub-related claims were still way above pre-pandemic levels in 2021, but had fallen by 12 per cent, compared to 2020.

In another Covid trend, the insurer also said face masks (stock image) featured in more than 1,000 claims in 2020-21, as hearing aids, glasses and earrings were lost or damaged when people put on or removed their coverings

While thefts from homes fell overall during the pandemic as people remained at home, pedal cycle thefts accounted for a higher proportion (34 per cent) of total thefts in 2021, compared with 20 per cent in 2019, Aviva said.

It also recorded an increase in claims for garden fires from bonfires and barbecues in 2020, although the numbers fell in 2021.

Kelly Whittington, property claims director for Aviva, said: ‘We’re constantly looking at how claims trends change and evolve, so we can help to protect our customers.

‘We certainly saw a few fluctuations throughout the Covid pandemic.

‘Some of these changes seem to have been related to a particular moment in time, but there are wider behavioural trends, such as hybrid working, which are likely to impact our claims experience in the longer term.

‘Whatever the potential problem, whether it involves a hot tub or a hearing aid, an iron or an exercise bike, we’d always urge customers to keep a look-out for potential hazards.’ 

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