Author Archive

Insurance premiums may increase to ensure flood-hit homeowners get cover

Guardian: UK householders face higher home insurance premiums so that those in high flood risk areas can still get cover. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) says that the insurance industry and the government are discussing a scheme to ensure that 200,000 households affected by flooding will be able to renew their policies next year. The scheme, proposed by the ABI, means a cap on premiums. Any house that would normally incur a much higher premium because of flood risk will have the extra paid...

United Kingdom: Worry for homeowners who face the threat of fracking

Guardian: Fracking has already caused small earthquakes in the north-west, but homeowners in the vicinity of shale gas extraction could face an even worse aftershock: falling house prices. John Johnson, manager of estate agent Farrell Heyworth in the Lancashire town of Poulton-le-Fylde, near one of the main drilling sites, says: "There are a lot of properties coming on to the market, and some of the owners are saying they want to get out before prices start dropping." Fracking involves drilling a well...