Home & Energy Resource Library
*Public Service Announcement for Thatched Cottage owners*
The regulation governing min heights of chimneys on thatched cottages for insurance purposes has changed, so that anything under 1.8m from thatch to top of chimney pot is now almost uninsurable due to fire risk.
There’s now only one provider in the UK who will cover under 1.8m (Aviva), meaning they have cornered the market and I have people telling me that their insurance premium has increased by 50% from last year.
*If you’re in this situation, your options are to either put up with the massive increase in price, or get permission to increase the height to above 1.8m, which in almost all cases will require Listed Building Consent and will take around 3 months, so it has to be tackled early.*
Swapping the pots for taller ones is a tricky thing to achieve, as there’s a specific regulation governing the height it can be in relation ot the width of the brick chimney below (see attached) and requres Building Regs approval, so building up the brick stack looks like the obvious option. NB: if your height is under 1.8m and you’re either not aware that it is or have chanced your arm and told a little fib, then the insurance company won’t pay out if there’s a fire.
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- Ian Jennings
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