An accident occurs approximately every 16 minutes during BBT
(British Barbecue Time), the hours between 6pm and 9pm between June and
September according to research from Abbey Home Insurance. Around a
quarter of these accidents are likely to take place in a home that has
no insurance cover(1).
This bank holiday weekend represents the gateway to the summer season and the start of National Barbecue week and according to Abbey's research approximately 10.5 million households are expected to light up the barbecue at one point over the next three months(1).
However, as many as 2.6 million households will be barbecuing this season without home insurance protection and Abbey is asking all fans of the ‘alfresco grill' to be careful about not putting their home at unnecessary risk when lighting up this summer.(2)
Tony Beckwith, Head of Abbey Insurance, said: "Although a lot of fun and a great social occasion, it's still important to remember that a barbecue is basically an open fire and if you are not careful, things can go wrong.
"Around 250 uninsured homes have barbecue related accidents each year, without insurance you leave yourself and your guests at risk. Be responsible and make sure you are covered".
Abbey offers the following ‘top five tips' to make sure that your summer day does not become a complete nightmare:
1. Never leave a barbecue unattended and keep children and pets at a safe distance.
2. Keep the barbecue away from buildings, fences and plant foilage. Make sure that you keep your barbecue on firm and level ground where it will not tip over.
3. Only ever use approved materials to ignite the barbecue, such as firelighters. Do not use other accelerants such as petrol or paraffin.
4. Keep a way of distinguishing the barbecue close to hand, such as a fire blanket , a bucket of sand or water or a fire extinguisher.
5. After cooking, allow embers to cool completely before disposing of them.
Abbey offers ‘Peace of Mind' an unlimited sum insured policy that covers you in the case of accidental damage caused by fires started from barbecues.
This is the fourth year running that Abbey has been awarded a five
star rating by Defaqto, making it one of only five providers to have
ever achieved this honour.
1. Analysis of data from the National Barbecue Association (www.nbbqa.co.uk)
2. Source Association of British Insurers (ABI)