Consumers looking to save money in the difficult economic climate should consider buying home insurance to protect against burglaries as they could be left facing a large bill otherwise, one industry expert has claimed.

According to Confused.com, people should consider home insurance cover essential to protect themselves against break-ins and damage.

The comparison site made the claim after the British Crime Survey's burglary statistics showed there was no real rise in the number of homes being broken into between 2006/07 and 2007/08.

Despite the instances of burglary showing no increase, the website claims those with no security measures in place are 25 per cent more likely to be victims than those with simple deterrents such as deadlocks.

"Home contents insurance is not a legal requirement. However, it should be considered an absolute necessity, as by failing to insure their home contents Britons are potentially setting themselves up for a large bill," a spokesperson said.

Those looking to reduce their monthly outgoings should make use of a price comparison site to find the best deal available, the representative stated.

According to research by Tescocompare.com, more than 2.5 million people in the UK saw their home insurance premiums increase above inflation at the last renewal date.

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