Allianz UK highlights the danger of burst frozen pipes

Biggest insurance claim totalled more than £560,000 after burst pipe damages four-bed house

Data from Allianz UK reveals the high cost of damage caused by burst frozen pipes.

Between the start of 2023 and Sept 2025, Allianz UK has paid out £20m for 345 claims for damage caused by burst pipes. The biggest single claims totalled £566,000 after pipes burst causing extensive damage to a four-bed home while the homeowner was abroad.

The pipes freeze when temperatures drop significantly over a prolonged period, causing the water inside to freeze and expand. This expansion can lead to increased pressure within the pipes, causing them to burst resulting in water flooding into lower levels of homes damaging walls, floors, electrics and lighting, and personal belongings.

Many burst pipes incidents occur when people are away for a period of time over a cold spell. Homeowners who plan to leave their home unoccupied for more than a few days should check weather forecasts and consider proactive measures such as draining water tanks, turning water off at the stop cocks, keeping heating on and arranging for people to visit the home regularly.

As freezing weather sweeps across the UK, Allianz says homeowners should take measures to prevent the damaging effects of frozen and burst pipes. Not only can the damage be extremely expensive to repair, homeowners can face the stress of moving to alternative accommodation while repairs are made while personal items can also be badly damaged. To mitigate these risks, experts recommend several preventive measures:

To prevent frozen pipes:

• Insulate your loft: Use good quality lagging, especially around and above your pipes and water tanks so they don’t freeze.
• Temperature Control: Maintain a consistent indoor temperature, even when away from the property. Keeping the thermostat set to at least 13C can help prevent pipes from freezing.

If a pipe has frozen, but not burst, avoid damage by:

• Removing carpet, furniture and electricals near the frozen pipe, to minimise damage costs if it does burst.
• Opening the tap nearest to the part of the pipe that’s frozen. This allows water to flow easier once it has melted.
• Thawing the ice in the frozen pipe with a water bottle or hot cloth. Start at the end closest to the tap and switch off the water supply to the house, or pipe.

Graham Wright, managing director of home insurance at Allianz UK, said:

“Every time we have a spell of freezing weather, we support customers making claims for water pipes freezing and bursting. Burst pipes can cause a large amount of damage so it’s a good idea to keep your heating on a constant low heat when you’re out and for homeowners to insulate their loft and use good quality lagging, especially around pipes and water tanks so they don’t freeze.

“Opening a loft hatch occasionally will allow warm air to circulate around pipes in the loft. By following some of these simple steps, policyholders can potentially save a significant amount of disruption this winter.”