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MORE TH>N Media Centre
The latest news and information from leading insurer MORE TH>N, part of Royal & SunAlliance.
- BRITISH INTERIORS SUFFER AT THE HANDS OF HIGH HOUSE PRICES
60 per cent of new home owners struggle to decorate and furnish their houses due to rising cost of property 51 per cent of Brits agree increasing numbers of look-a-like property developments are making UK houses characterless Home makeover shows to blame for a ‘one style fits all’ approach to interior decoration.According to new research from home insurer MORE TH>N, 60 per cent of new home owners in the UK struggle to decorate and furnish their houses after forking out high prices for the property. Over a third (35 per cent) just do the basics such as painting the walls and a further quarter stretch themselves so far that they are not even able to do that. When it comes to buying things to furnish their homes, Brits only spend on average £972 a year – equating to just £19 a week. The MORE TH>N research found that the identical layout of new builds makes househunting increasingly difficult as the homes are less appealing to buyers. Almost half (48 per cent) of those surveyed believe that the problem is made worse by the rise of home improvement TV shows, which encourage the same trend in decoration throughout the country, leaving homes with a distinct lack of character.Standards of furnishings have also suffered the research revealed. 42 per cent of the nation would prefer to spend more money on high tech gadgets such as laptops and widescreen televisions than essential items such as beds, furniture and kitchen equipment. Only a quarter (24 per cent) consider these essentials to be important. Commenting on the research, Mike Holliday-Williams, managing director of MORE TH>N, said: “Britain was once the place of cosy country cottages and quirky towns and cities. However, due to a housing shortage we are witnessing a new generation of development, where houses and apartments are increasingly standardised both inside and out. The impact on the average home owner is two fold. Firstly, finding a unique property is more costly and difficult and secondly it often means that the new owners will have to spend more time and money personalising their homes to their own tastes.”ENDSFor further information:Jon Sellors Nick Dear MORE TH>N PR Manager MORE TH>N PR Consultant T: 020 7337 5405 T: 020 7337 5602 Notes to Editors:Research carried out online by YouGov between 12th October – 15 October 2007 among a sample of 2,122 adults. Data is weighted to be representative of the GB population.MORE TH>N is the direct financial services arm of Royal & SunAlliance. It offers motor, home, pet, life and travel insurance by phone and via the internet. It also offers van, shop, office, business car, hotels, property, club and contractor insurance direct to small businesses. In December 2006, MORE TH>N, together with its parent company Royal & SunAlliance, became the first insurer in the UK to be carbon neutral. The company has cut its carbon footprint by half since 2000 and has offset the remainder by purchasing voluntary carbon reductions through the CarbonNeutral Company.For all of MORE TH>N’s press releases, visit www.royalsun.com/mediacentre/newsitems.jsp Subscribe to MORE TH>N’s RSS news-feed to keep up to date with announcements by copying and pasting the following link into your news aggregator:http://www.royalsun.com/mediacentre/feed.xmlMORE TH>N is a registered trademark of the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group plc and a trading style of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc (No.93792). Registered in England & Wales at St.Mark’s Court, Chart Way, Horsham, RH12 1XL. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. - DON’T LET YOUR PROFITS GO UP IN SMOKE, WARNS MORE TH>N BUSINESS
MORE TH>N BUSINESS is urging retailers of fireworks to pay close attention to safety precautions and legal requirements when storing explosives in the run up to Bonfire Night celebrations this 5th November. In recent years there have been a number of incidents in which the improper storage of fireworks has led to explosions, serious injuries and in some cases even fatalities. This has resulted in a tightening of the laws surrounding the correct storage of fireworks, including reworked guidelines by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE).To help retailers stay within the law, and to ensure they stay covered should they need to make an insurance claim, MORE TH>N BUSINESS has compiled a list of top tips on the safe storage of fireworks:1. Ensure that you do not exceed the maximum permitted volume of fireworks for your premises. Up to 250kg may be stored in a locked metal container Any more (up to 1,000kg) must be stored in a separate spark-proof store building, detached from any dwelling and constructed of brick, stone, concrete or iron. The volume of fireworks permitted on the shop floor is dependent on the size of the publicly accessible sales area. This ranges from 12.5kg in 20m2, to 75kg in a 500m2 sales area.2. Where there are five or more employees, a full risk assessment must be carried out and documented. 3. Up to 12.5kg of fireworks may be kept in showcases, containers, cupboards or drawers, but these must remain locked shut to prevent unauthorised access. Electrical fittings in such cabinets should be disconnected. 4. Glass showcases must not be displayed in shop windows.5. Sources of ignition and flammable materials should be kept at safe distance. This includes smoking. 6. All fireworks sold should comply with British Standards BS 7714: Part 2: 1988.7. Matches are not fireworks and should not be stored with them.8. Sparklers are fireworks and should be stored in the same way as other fireworks.9. If more than 75kg of fireworks is being stored, a fire detection system should be fitted to protect anyone living in the vicinity. Access routes should also be provided that are separate from the store, and such a store should be closed off to prevent unauthorised access.10. Most importantly, retailers must ensure they have obtained the correct licence from the local authority under the Firework Regulations 2004. Mike Bowman, Head of MORE TH>N BUSINESS, commented: “It is imperative that retailers of fireworks ensure that they are operating in accordance with all legal requirements and guidelines to make certain they stay covered by their insurance for any eventuality.“MORE TH>N BUSINESS recommends that retailers not only follow the guidelines offered here, but also familiarise themselves with the detailed guidance offered by the HSE, and the requirements of their individual insurance policies.”For further information on MORE TH>N BUSINESS, call 0800 197 5876 or log onto www.morethanbusiness.comENDSFor media enquiries, please contact:Nick Dear Rachael ShawExternal Communications Consultant External Communications ConsultantMORE TH>N BUSINESS MORE TH>N BUSINESSPhone: + 44 (0) 20 7337 5602 Phone: + 44 (0) 20 7337 5728Mobile: +44 (0) 7824 839 511 Mobile: + 44 (0) 7717 420 065nick.dear@uk.royalsun.com rachael.shaw@uk.royalsun.comNotes to Editors:About MORE TH>N BUSINESSMORE TH>N BUSINESS, part of Royal & SunAlliance's direct financial services arm MORE TH>N, offers van, shop, office, business car, landlord, club, hotel and contractor insurance direct to small businesses. MORE TH>N also offers motor, home, pet, travel and life insurance.For more information about MORE TH>N BUSINESS’s products and services, visit www.morethanbusiness.co.uk or call 0800 294 1818.MORE TH>N BUSINESS is a registered trademark of the Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group plc and a trading style of Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance plc (No. 93792). Registered in England and Wales at St. Mark's Court, Chart Way, Horsham, West Sussex, RH12 1XL. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. - NEW INSURANCE PACKAGE LAUNCHED FOR SMALL-BUSINESS WOMEN
Entrepreneurial spirit among British women is alive and kicking as figures reveal there are now 46 UK women starting a business for every 100 men1. Currently 27 per cent of self-employed people are women2 and there are roughly 620,000 majority women-owned businesses in the UK generating around £130 billion turnover3. As a reaction to this ever-growing market, small-business insurer MORE TH>N BUSINESS has today launched a package that is especially designed for this ever-growing segment of the market. A key element of the new package is that when taking out policies, small-business women can deal with a dedicated team of female-only business insurance experts after recent research by the insurer reveals that women prefer to talk to other women about business issues. The female-only experts are also highly trained in small-business risks to ensure customers get a tailored product to suite their exact business needs.According to research4, female small-business owners are also more likely to use external advice than male owned business. With this in mind, the policies also include a 24 hour free advice line on matters such as legal advice from qualified solicitors, health and safety issues, as well as stress counselling for those who need to talk about their business pressures to a professional. There is also a free helpline during working hours giving guidance on VAT, PAYE and other tax issues.Shop and office policies offer £500 worth of cover for handbag contents and other business essentials whether at home or on the move. To ensure women’s safety is a priority, MORE TH>N BUSINESS aims to
