The positive effects of good summer weather on all of us are well documented. But sadly the pleasant conditions which we have been having recently are a boon for burglars too. The ABI (Association of British Insurers) has now warned that good weather can quite literally mean open house for the criminal.

When the mercury soars, householders throw open the windows – often with scant regard for the consequences. Whilst we are sitting in the back garden, making the most of the summer weather, it is not just a cooling breeze that we are allowing in through our open windows.

In some areas of the country, half of all burglaries are made easy by householders leaving a door or window open which is then used to gain entry.

Police have also been quick to point out that it is a myth that most burglaries are carried out under cover of darkness. Indeed, burglars know that householders are likely to check doors and windows before going to bed and therefore prefer to strike in daylight hours when their job is made easy by sloppy security.

It is of course also peak holiday season, another factor which provides rich pickings for the burglar, especially when it is obvious that the house is unoccupied. Simple precautions such as asking a friend or family member to pop in to pick up post, remembering to cancel newspapers and milk deliveries and using a cheap timer to operate lights can all make your home safer.

Last summer, insurance companies paid out £84 million in burglary claims and, although householders may have been financially recompensed for the thefts, nothing can ever compensate you for items of sentimental value or for the trauma of discovering that your home has been burgled.

Recent figures released by the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have revealed that insurance companies uncovered 122,000 fraudulent insurance claims in 2009, up 14% on the figure for 2008. Stats suggest that 4% of all claims by value in 2009 were fraudulent, a figure that is nearly double that of five years ago.

As well as this, the ABI reported that the value of bogus claims has also risen by 14% on 2008 figures. The result of these claims is that insurance companies have seen motor and home insurance policies push the value of detected insurance fraud to a record £840m in 2009.

Although not the highest by value, the ABI have reported that the highest number of bogus claims was detected in home insurance, with 62,000 false or exaggerated claims picked up in 2009 alone.

Reacting to these worrying statistics, the ABI’s director of general insurance and health, Nick Starling, has warned potential fraudsters that they are “more likely than ever to get caught, leading to more expensive and harder to obtain insurance and credit, and the possibility of a criminal record.” This stark warning should help remind people thinking of placing a bogus claim of the foolishness of their decision and the likely outcome of it.

A potential implication of the rise in bogus claims is that honest consumers will see their premiums rise through no fault of their own. However, with consumers already hard pressed to afford a reported 11.5% increase in car insurance alone, insurers would risk seeing people take their chances without insurance should they choose to increase their premium rates.

One of the UK’s top car insurance providers, Admiral, is looking to expand its business by providing home insurance cover as of next year.

Admiral currently insures 6% of the cars on UK roads and, as an established name in the insurance industry, it expects that its transition into home insurance will not be one that leaves current customers with increased premium costs. This confidence is based on the fact that Admiral owns price comparison websites confused.com and elephant.co.uk, which means that it will be able to avoid expensive advertising and marketing campaigns, as it will be able to advertise its new service on these websites.

Despite rivals Moneysupermarket.com and Go Compare making up 69% of the market along with Admiral, the insurance provider is still confident that the success of its own price comparison websites will provide enough advertising exposure to avoid having to run a costly marketing campaign.

Admiral’s confidence is shared by at least one insurance analyst, who is certain that Admiral can make a success of its move into household cover. The expert believes that if Admiral is able to offer competitive premium rates by identifying and targeting a number of key areas of home insurance which are currently overpriced, it will be able to attract customers looking for better deals.

Despite its success over recent years, Admiral believes that in order to continue to grow as a company it needs to diversify into new areas. By gaining a foothold in the home insurance business, the company will put itself in the best position to expand further.