Tag: NFU Mutual

BBQ and home fire safety plea as hot weather arrives in UK 

  • Hot, dry weather could increase risk of fires this bank holiday
  • Leading rural insurer NFU Mutual urges visitors to the countryside not to use disposable barbecues or start campfires
  • One spark can start a massive fire which threatens people, wildlife and livestock
  • Homeowners also urged to beware of greater fire risks around the home and garden during hot weather

With the Met Office predicting warm, dry weather for the bank holiday weekend and the following week, leading rural insurer NFU Mutual is making a plea for homeowners and holidaymakers across the UK to practice good fire safety to avoid disaster.

Hot weather in Spring generally leads to a spike in reports of fires at home and in public spaces across the United Kingdom. These fires can spread quickly and are difficult to put out, causing devastating damage to vast areas of the British countryside and coastland, destroying natural habitats and endangering livestock and wildlife.

Many large grass or gorse fires last year were traced back to disposal barbecues or fire pits, including fires in the Peak District, Salisbury Plain and Northern Ireland’s Murlough National Nature Reserve. Blazes in Bristol, Dorset and Devon were also sparked by disposable barbecues in 2022.

With the risks clear, leading rural insurer NFU Mutual is making a plea to day-trippers and the rural community alike not to light barbecues or fire pits in the countryside, unless in a designated area.

Andrew Chalk, rural insurance specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Every year we see large fires quickly spreading through grass and gorse land in the UK, wreaking havoc in our countryside, coastland and important habitats.

“These fires can also encroach onto farmland, putting farmers, livestock and crops at risk and disrupting them at a vital time of year.

“While we don’t yet have the tinderbox conditions of high summer, an out-of-control barbecue could still cause a devastating blaze. We’re imploring people to enjoy the countryside responsibly: Please don’t use disposable barbecues, light firepits or build open fires, as these can spit sparks and also smoulder for hours after you leave.

“Additionally, don’t drop matches or cigarettes, which could spark a fire, and don’t risk leaving bottles on the ground which can act as a focus for sunlight.”

Fire safety at home

Barbecues and fire pits can also lead to devastating fires at home, so it’s important homeowners practice good fire safety.

Andrew Chalk explains: “While it may not be advisable in extreme heat, homeowners should be fine to barbecue this week providing they take sensible precautions.

“Open flames and grease will always present a fire risk, so keep barbecues well away from dry grass, shrubbery and bushes and make sure they are clean before lighting to prevent dangerous sparks from spitting up. Make sure you have access to water and keep barbecues well away from the home – particularly if you have a thatched house.

“Also be careful with electronics. Even in these temperatures, devices kept in direct sunlight or which become too hot when charged could spark a fire.

“By taking sensible precautions, people can protect their homes and possessions by preventing the cause of fire. It is also worth talking to your insurer to make sure you are adequately insured should the worse happen. Gardens are often overlooked when it comes to insuring a home, but restoring a garden with established plants, shrubs and trees can be a costly affair.”

NFU Mutual countryside fire checklist:

  • Don’t drop used matches or cigarettes – they can smoulder and start a fire
  • Don’t start campfires or use disposable barbecues on grass, moorland or in forests
  • Call 999 if you spot a fire while out in the countryside
  • Avoid parking in narrow country lanes where access for emergency services vehicles could be blocked
  • Don’t drop litter – discarded bottles can focus sunlight and start a fire
  • Keep to footpaths when walking in the countryside

At home:

  • Don’t overload plug sockets – this can increase the chance of sparks
  • Keep an eye on charging electrical devices to ensure they do not get too hot
  • Avoid leaving electrical devices out in the sun
  • Dispose of matches and cigarettes in a fireproof container
  • Keep air conditioning units free of dust, which can build up and be a fire hazard
  • If barbecuing, ensure the barbecue is regularly cleaned and keep it away from dry grass, shrubbery or bushes. Do not barbecue in an enclosed area or too close to the house

NFU Mutual launches 2023 Scottish Inspirational Young Person Award

Leading insurer NFU Mutual has partnered with industry body Scotland Food & Drink to launch the 2023 ‘Inspirational Young Person Award’.

Talented young people working in the food and drink industry are being encouraged to enter the fifth annual ‘Inspirational Young Person Award’.

The award seeks to uncover inspiring examples of talented people aged 16 to 26 who own, work, or study in the food and drink sector and who are a driving success in their field.

The award will highlight the innovation young people bring to Scotland’s food and drink businesses, as well as the important contribution they make to the sector’s long-term future.

Entries and nominations are now open and the closing date is 3rd July. The first, second and third place winners will be announced during Scottish Food & Drink Fortnight (5-20th September) and awarded cash prizes of £500, £300 and £200 respectively.  

In recognition of the challenges the industry has faced economically in the last year and the part it can play environmentally such as cutting down on food waste, this year’s judges are looking for entrants who are adapting the way they work and contributing to the resilience of Scotland’s food and drink sector.

Last year’s winner was 23-year-old Craig Chambers, a Distiller at Dunnet Bay Distillers based in Thurso.

He impressed the judges with his natural flair for the distillery business and the way he identified improvements and helped create new recipes designed to reduce energy consumption during distilling by 90%, which helped the business maintain the original price point for customers as energy prices increased.  

Since winning the award, Craig has expanded his horizons and is presently on a placement at a distillery in South America.

Craig said: “Winning this award was an amazing high-point for me. I have since been on a placement at a distillery in Argentina to learn even more about the industry and other food and drink cultures.

“The prize money came in very handy for my travels too.”

Mark McBrearty, NFU Mutual’s Regional Manager in Scotland and one of the judges for the award, said: “The importance of young people to Scotland’s food and drink sector cannot be overstated. This special award illustrates just how wide a contribution they make and how valuable their drive and innovation are to business success.

He added: “Like all industries, the food and drink sector has been facing some very challenging times. This year’s judging will consider how young people have responded to this and also adapted to the way they work environmentally, such as saving energy or cutting down on food waste.”

Iain Baxter, Chief Executive at Scotland Food & Drink, said: “I am really looking forward to discovering the wealth of talent – both culinary and business-focused – among the younger generation in our industry. 

He added: “Scotland has a proud reputation nationally and internationally for its food, drink and hospitality. Supporting the future of our sector by recognising up and coming talent is crucial to its long-term success.” 

How to Enter 

The NFU Mutual and Scotland Food & Drink Inspirational Young Person Award 2022 is open for entries until 3rd July 2023. Submit your entry or make a nomination here.

Any individual between the ages of 16 and 26 who owns, works, or studies within a food and drink related business, organisation or institution can be nominated or enter on their own behalf.

The winner will receive £500, with the second and third place finalists receiving £300 and £200 respectively. Winners will be announced in September 2022. 

For more information on the range of NFU Mutual insurance services, visit: 

https://www.nfumutual.co.uk

Which? reveals best – and worst -insurance providers

NFU Mutual has been named as the UK’s best home insurance provider in Which?’s annual home insurance satisfaction survey, while More Than finished last.

A survey of 1,284 policyholders ranked insurers on levels of satisfaction and likelihood to recommend the provider. Which? experts also examined the providers’ policies in detail – inspecting 85 policy elements. The resulting customer score and policy scores for buildings and contents cover were then combined to create a ‘total score’. 

When it comes to cover, Which? found wild variations in the levels available from insurers. The top-scoring policy for contents cover – NatWest’s ‘Premier’ policy – earned a 90 per cent rating – while the lowest score, from Admiral’s ‘Admiral’ policy, was 43 per cent.

The consumer champion is advising home insurance customers to check carefully to ensure that a policy provides the level of cover they need. But, at a time when the cost of living crisis is putting huge pressure on budgets, it is also worth considering if there are unnecessary extras that could be dropped from existing policies, as small changes can lead to significant savings.

Overall, NFU Mutual fared best in Which?’s analysis. While its ‘Home and Lifestyle’ product was beaten by some other policies’ cover, the insurer received an impressive customer score of 87 per cent – propelling it to the top of the leaderboard.

With a highly impressive total score of 79 per cent, it charges no admin fees and has a single item cover limit of £7,500 (many insurers cap this at £2,000 or less). NFU Mutual was also the only provider to receive full marks from its customers for how it deals with queries. 

NFU Mutual, along with Lloyds Bank, LV, and Saga were all awarded Which? Recommended Provider (WRP) status – an award that is based on Which?’s own assessment benchmarks, plus customer scores and star ratings gathered through its regular surveys.

Lloyds Bank was praised by customers for the clarity of its policies. Last year, it launched its ‘Home Insurance Select’ range which has three tiers of cover: ‘Bronze’, ‘Silver’ and ‘Gold’.

LV’s ‘Home Insurance’ and ‘Home Insurance Plus’ policies both performed strongly, impressing Which?’s experts, and the provider received a customer score of 71 per cent. Its Home Insurance policy includes some accidental damage cover as standard – though limited to specific types of damage, such as to cables, sanitary ware, fixed glass and home entertainment equipment (the ‘Plus’ policy has wider cover as standard). It also provides optional home emergency cover of £1,000 per call-out. 

Saga (‘Plus’) pays up to £2,000 for home emergencies and will cover up to £10,000 of students’ contents when kept away from home. It received a customer score of 70 per cent. 

More Than achieved a total score of 56 per cent – the only provider surveyed not to score over 60 per cent. Its policy scores were roughly mid-table among the 58 policies we analysed – however, it had the lowest customer score in our survey – a disappointing 49 per cent. 

Some policies were not always as generous in providing cover as some customers might expect. 

Accidental damage, for example, was the most common reason customers in the survey claimed. The cover was available in all but three (of 58) policies we examined. However, only a third of the policies covered it generally as standard.

In many cases, standard cover was restricted to specific breakages – such as to pipes, cables and windows. To receive full accidental damage cover, customers may find they have to add on additional extras to their policies for real peace of mind. 

Since January, insurance companies have been prevented by the Financial Conduct Authority from offering new customers special discounted rates for home insurance, putting an end to the widespread practice of ‘price walking’. This meant customers were charged more the longer they stayed loyal to their insurer. 

One consequence of this may be higher premiums for new policies. The consumer champion is therefore urging customers to shop around to make sure they find a deal that is right for them before committing. 

Even if customers are happy with their current provider, haggling remains an effective option when it comes to trying to reduce bills. 

Jenny Ross, Which? Money Editor, said: “With different levels of cover aimed at different types of customers, home insurance can be tricky to navigate. But taking the time to find a policy that’s right for you could save you money. 

“At a time when the cost of living crisis is affecting millions of households across the country, doing your research to strip out any extras you don’t need could save you precious pounds.”