Cold snap costs insurers £650m
The cold snap saw insurers pay out some £650 million in claims, according to a trade body.
Insurers handled some 335,000 claims between December 18 and January 13, when the country was gripped by freezing temperatures and heavy snow, the Association of British Insurers said.
Car insurers saw the most claims, with some 268,400 motorists claiming for weather-related incidents. Insurers paid out a total of £395 million, the ABI said.
A further £255 million was paid to homeowners and businesses who submitted 66,600 claims - double the number of weather damage claims insurers would normally expect to receive during the period.
Within this total, 60,200 claims were made by homeowners, with insurers paying out £194 million to cover damage to their properties, particularly for roof damage caused by snow.
Nick Starling, the ABI's director of general insurance and health, said: "Insurers will always respond quickly to the large number of claims that often result from bad weather.
"Insurers have paid out nearly £1 billion to customers following bad weather this winter, as the heavy snow came weeks after the flooding in Cumbria, which led to insurers paying out £200 million in flood claims."
The group said it is too early to say whether the claims for this winter will lead to a hike in insurance premiums.