After seven years living in his flat in Hove, East Sussex, Tony Mollett was used to paying about £100 for his contents insurance.

Meanwhile, Tony Lewis* from Kennington, south London, contacted us to say that his quoted premium had gone up by 45%, to £800 a year, for his two-bed house.

Chelsea Shakespeare, a manager at brokerage Adrian Flux, says the increases have been higher than predicted and blames the unprecedented series of severe weather events.

It is more common to claim on insurance than maybe it once was – perhaps, in part, due to the cost of living, with homeowners not having sufficient reserves to avoid having to claim.