The UK’s insurers expect to pay £219m for subsidence claims made in 2022, many of which were caused by last summer’s record-breaking high temperatures.
The figure, revealed by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), is the highest expected insurance subsidence bill since 2006. However, the final bill has not been fully settled due to ongoing monitoring of some homes to assess the full extent of the damage.
The heatwave – which peaked on 19 July at 40.3°C, the hottest UK temperature since records began – led to 18,000 subsidence claims. According to the ABI, this is the equivalent of one new claim every 15 minutes during the second half of last year. It added that a total of 23,000 subsidence claims were made during 2022, with the average claim incurred being £9,600.
