Most of us are only too familiar with the occasional night of tossing and turning but now Halifax Insurance has introduced a Peace of Mind Index which looks at what exactly gives us that uneasy feeling.

Geographically people in England have less peace of mind that those in Scotland, Wales or Ireland and, as for the sexes, women are more likely than men to feel ill at ease. The precise things which worry us vary but top of the list are factors such as a fear of theft (either being burgled or robbed on the streets), being alone in the house at night, hearing noise on the street outside our home and anxiety about house fires.

Burglary is a worry for 64% of Brits with the over 65s being the only age group surveyed for whom it was not the number one fear. The over 65s are in fact most worried about identity theft and fraud despite being perceived as the group most at risk of being burgled.

What, you might ask, can be done to help? Apparently 74% favour the fortress approach with peace of mind being bought by fitting devices such as window locks and good security for doors. Many find the human touch helpful with 67% getting peace of mind from having a partner or family member sleeping in the house.

The survey results have been used by Halifax Insurance to emphasise the need for householders to make sure that they have good insurance in place so that if the worst case scenario happens at least they will be adequately covered.

One effect of the recession which may not have struck law-abiding citizens is the increase in “acquisitive” crimes such as burglary and theft. As the economy takes a downturn, figures for these crimes have risen by 4% from July to Sept 2007 to the same period in 2008, equating to a house being burgled every two minutes in England and Wales.

Age Concern Insurance Services are warning the elderly that, although times are tough and everyone is desperately looking for ways to save money, it would be madness to cancel home insurance policies just to cut back on expenditure on bills. There seems to be anecdotal evidence that those struggling to make ends meet because of the current economic situation are persuading themselves that home insurance (both for contents and buildings cover) is something of a luxury.

Joe Young, from Age Concern Insurance Services, stresses that leaving yourself uninsured is “a very serious issue that can leave you seriously out-of-pocket should there be a burglary or accident in the home”. The Association of British Insurers also emphasises that, for older people on limited income, it can be particularly difficult to afford to replace possessions should a burglary occur and that proper insurance cover is therefore vital.

All profits from Age Concern Insurance Services are ploughed back into the Age Concern charity to fund day centres, transport, home visits, and campaigns for the welfare of older people. Premiums can be paid in instalments at no added cost and there is also the option to have a very low sum insured for people with few contents.