Have you ever stopped to add up how much your music downloads are worth? If not, you may be surprised to learn just how much you have invested in the coffers of iTunes and Amazon. But you’d probably be even more surprised to learn that if you were unlucky enough to lose your computer hard drive through fire or theft, only 24% of home insurance policies would cover the loss of your downloads.

Over a third of us regularly download music and, whilst the average value is under £100, a million of us value our collections at over £250. Overall in the UK we have downloaded £1.3 billion worth of music since digital downloading took off.

We seem to be taking quite a relaxed approach as regards insurance, however, with research from Sainsbury’s Home Insurance revealing that only 5% of us know that we are definitely covered by our home policy. 23% of us are relatively sure that we would not be covered and 55% of us don’t have a clue as to whether we would be covered or not.

Ben Tyte, manager of Sainsbury’s Home Insurance, thinks that many consumers may believe that they could recover any loss from the retailer but points out that most places will only allow for a single download. He advises music lovers to back up their collection on a different computer as a safeguard.

Sainsbury’s research also threw up some interesting statistics as to who exactly is doing all the downloading. Predictably, the 18 to 24 age group leads the way with 58% downloading music. However, the over 65s are at it too with 12% having done so. As for the split between the sexes, men download three times as much as women.

Sainsbury’s Home Insurance policies offer cover for downloads up to £2,000 and it is one of only 27 insurers offering this.

We’re all aware by now of the complete chaos that the cold weather can bring to our travel plans, and, as such, many people are choosing to stay inside for longer. But now we’ve been warned of a new problem that the cold weather brings directly to our homes.

Confused.com has just revealed that the cold weather could lead to an increase in rat infestations as they seek shelter in the warmth, which could have home insurance implications.

As well as the general unpleasantness of an infestation, the presence of rats in the home can lead to financial costs. Rats can cause damage to appliances as they can bite through cables, and this can lead to having to make a home insurance claim.

The Confused.com website has now issued some advice to homeowners to prevent them having to share their homes with the rodents. The main advice is to seal up any holes or gaps to stop them getting inside in the first place. The most important area for this is around brickwork and pipes.

Broken drain covers should also be fixed to stop rats getting in through the sewage system. More standard practices such as locking doors and windows and keeping rubbish enclosed in a secure bin can also play their part.

Home insurance policies vary in what they provide in terms of cover, so customers should always check if they are covered for an infestation before it is too late.

The head of Confused.com, Darren Black, said that “homeowners need to take steps which will prevent rats gaining access”, adding that “a few simple steps” is all it takes to reduce the risk of a rat invasion.

Only one in five homeowners purchases home insurance along with a mortgage, according to Abbey for Intermediaries. This means that there are many intermediaries who are losing out on a market that’s worth about £30 million. As a result, Abbey is recommending that the level of cross selling is increased so that intermediaries can take advantage of extra revenue.

The housing market is currently in a bad shape, but there is still good money to be made in insurance. Abbey is now encouraging intermediaries to “exploit” this rather than missing out.

Ricky Okey, the managing director of Abbey for Intermediaries, said that insurance “offers one of the most attractive income sources for intermediaries, and yet there are still so many who overlook it as a revenue stream.” He added that because the housing market is contracted at the moment, it is a good opportunity to make some more money.

This recommendation comes at the same time as the bank made some additions to its range of home insurance offerings. It has now reduced premiums by 17% on average by introducing three insurers to oversee its range: Zurich, Groupama and Aviva. There are also new add-ons for the New Build and Bedroom Plus policies.

Home insurance is a necessity that few owners should be without. If intermediaries can take advantage of the extra sales revenue that insurance provides then they can put themselves in a better position during the current housing slump. With 80% of mortgage borrowers being potential customers, now is a great time to take advantage of it.