20-05-2025
Damage from burst pipes is main reason for home insurance claims
Storm damage was the next most common reason for a home insurance claim in 2024, according to claims data from Peopl Insurance.
Four out of 10 claims made were due to damage caused by pipes bursting or other leaks, which can be extremely expensive to repair.
Around one in five claims made to Peopl Insurance were due to damage caused by storms, with tiles flying off roofs being a typical reason for a claim.
Fire accounted for just 9pc of claims. Other reasons included subsidence and accidental damage.
Peopl Insurance provides home, life and travel insurance in partnership with a range of credit unions across the country.
Spokesman for the insurer Dominic Lumsden said: 'Given the ferocity of recent storms and the damage that extreme weather can inflict on people's homes and property, it is no surprise that storms now account for nearly one in five of home insurance claims.'
He said the most violent storm to hit in 2024 was Storm Darragh, quoting Met Éireann data.
Mr Lumsden said it left hundreds of thousands of homeowners without power, and caused considerable damage across the country when it hit last December.
'Given the freezing weather so often experienced in Ireland during the winter, it is no surprise that burst pipes and water leaks are the top cause of home insurance claims here.'
He said homeowners should not underestimate the extent of the damage that can be caused by burst pipes and water leaks.
A burst pipe could cost tens of thousands of euro worth of damage if water had been left leaking for a few days, Mr Lumsden said.
'The bill for the damage could even be more if a pipe bursts while you're away as you'll likely have to replace plasterboard, walls, wardrobes, kitchen units and so on – and you'll probably have to repair electrical damage too.'
The Peopl Insurance figures are for 2024 alone, so do not capture the claims that arose following Storm Éowyn, which struck in late January of this year, and the big freeze of early January.
Storm Éowyn wreaked havoc, with winds lifting roofs off some properties, falling trees causing extensive damage, and more than 768,000 homes, schools, farms and businesses losing power.
