Many homeowners putting property at risk in winter

The mild winter weather in the UK this year has meant that many people in rental homes and their own properties have been leaving the heating turned off in order to save money on their energy bills, with prices having increased last year.

However, with the Met Office delivering weather warnings for much of Scotland and England this weekend, with the threat of snow and ice said to be quite large, those who keep their heating off could risk damage to their property through frozen and burst pipes, which could prove costly.

According to research from uSwitch, the majority of UK house holders have decided to cut back on their energy bills this year by either turning down their heating, or switching it off completely.

USwitch said that the increases of an average of 21 per cent which hit many people in the UK on their energy bills between 2010 and 2011 has meant that many could not afford to heat their UK property in the same way that they normally would.

The survey discovered that 83 per cent of the UK public have tried to cut down on their energy consumption this year, with 75 per cent having gone without heating altogether at some points.

However, the AA has warned homeowners of the risk of cutting their energy spend, as it said that last year, the insurance bill for winter related damage was £3.1 billion.

Tom Stringer, of AA Home Emergency Response, said: "As many of us enjoyed unseasonably mild weather for much of this winter it's easy to forget the extremely cold winters of the last few years and be unprepared for the current cold snap.  Our research has shown that winter emergencies can land homeowners with some hefty bills, which may not be covered by their standard home insurance.  Others think they won't be one of the unlucky ones this year."