The Arctic snap in December resulted in £1.4 billion of vehicle and home insurance claims across the UK, more than twice the £650 million worth of damage attributed to bad weather in 2009, according to new figures released by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
Insurance companies received a total of £38 million in claims a day during the coldest December.
Property claims totalled £900 million in December, the highest ever caused by freezing weather.
Insurers in Scotland received £90 million of property claims during the period.
Burst pipes caused the most problems, with more than 100,000 claims totalling £680 million, marking a 35% increase on the whole of the previous winter.
Over 250,000 vehicles were damaged as a result of the snow and ice on the roads, leading to £530 million of claims.
Nick Starling, director of general insurance and health at the ABI, said: "Insurers always respond quickly to the large numbers of claims that often follow from bad weather and helped thousands of customers get through a very tough December.
"The big freeze highlighted that when bad weather strikes there's no substitute for insurance."
© Press Association 2011
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