HOME INSURANCE
The UK Health Security Agency escalated heat-health alerts to amber for six English regions and yellow for three more, from 9am on 8 July until 9pm on 12 July 2026. Prolonged heat is now a recognised driver of subsidence claims, which reached a record £307 million in 2025, and insurers expect the pattern to continue.
- UKHSA amber heat-health alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West from 9am 8 July to 9pm 12 July 2026.
- Yellow alerts apply to the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber for the same period.
- UK subsidence payouts hit a record £307 million in 2025, with the average claim now £17,820, according to the ABI.
- Standard buildings insurance covers subsidence, heave and landslip, typically with a £1,000 excess.
Last reviewed: 07 July 2026
KEY FACTS
- Amber alert regions: East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West (8-12 July 2026)
- Yellow alert regions: North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber (same period)
- 2025 UK subsidence payouts: £307 million (record, ABI)
- Average subsidence claim, Q1 2026: £17,820 (ABI)
- Typical subsidence excess: around £1,000
- Homes in highest two subsidence risk bands: 4% now, projected 21% by the 2050s (ABI)
What the amber and yellow alerts mean
The UK Health Security Agency escalated its heat-health alerts on 6 July 2026, moving the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East and South West from yellow to amber, with the amber alert running from 9am on Wednesday 8 July until 9pm on Sunday 12 July. A yellow heat-health alert covers the North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber for the same period. An amber alert signals a rise in health risk for the general population, and a more significant risk for people aged over 65 or with pre-existing health conditions, while a yellow alert asks health and social care services to prepare for possible impacts rather than signalling an immediate widespread risk. This is the second round of alerts UKHSA has issued this summer: red heat-health alerts, the most severe category, were in place for six English regions between 24 and 28 June 2026, only the second time a red alert has been issued since the system introduced that category in 2022. UKHSA works with the Met Office to set alert levels and reviews them daily during active periods.
Why hot weather causes subsidence
Subsidence happens when the ground beneath a property loses moisture and shrinks, pulling the foundations down unevenly and often causing cracking in walls, distorted door and window frames, or uneven floors. The risk is highest on clay-rich soils, common across the South East and East of England, because clay expands when wet and contracts sharply when dry, unlike sandy or chalky ground, which stays more stable through weather swings. Large trees and shrubs close to a property increase the risk further, since their roots draw additional moisture from the soil during dry periods, compounding the shrinkage. The Association of British Insurers has recorded a clear pattern over the past decade: subsidence claims spike in the months and years following prolonged hot, dry spells, most visibly after the 2018, 2022 and 2025 heatwaves, and insurers increasingly treat repeated summer heat as a recurring feature of UK claims risk rather than a one-off event. The British Geological Survey publishes soil shrink-swell risk maps showing how this exposure is expected to widen beyond the traditional South East hotspot as summers become hotter and drier more often.
What your home insurance actually covers
A standard buildings insurance policy covers subsidence, heave and landslip damage to a home's main structure and outbuildings, and this cover cannot usually be removed or reduced by choice, since it is a standard feature of the policy rather than an optional add-on. Most policies apply an excess of around £1,000 specifically for subsidence claims, higher than the excess for other types of damage, reflecting the higher average cost and complexity of subsidence repairs. Damage to garden walls, fences, patios and driveways is not normally covered on its own, unless it happens at the same time as damage to the home itself. If subsidence makes a property temporarily uninhabitable, buildings insurance can also cover the cost of alternative accommodation while repairs are carried out. Anyone getting new home insurance quotes must declare any past subsidence at the property, even from years earlier or under a previous owner, since failing to do so can invalidate a policy and leave a future claim unpaid.
The claims record insurers are now dealing with
The scale of the current claims environment gives useful context. ABI figures show UK home insurers paid out a record £307 million for subsidence in 2025, up 10% on the previous year, following an earlier record of £219 million after the 2022 heatwave. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, the average household subsidence claim reached £17,820, itself a 9% rise on the same period in 2025. More broadly, insurers paid out £846 million across all home insurance claims in the first quarter of 2026, with the average household claim reaching a record £6,340, up 20% year on year, and weather-related claims averaging £6,040, up 38% on the same period the year before. The ABI has also estimated that around 4% of UK homes currently sit in the two highest subsidence risk bands, a figure it projects could rise to 21% by the 2050s under a medium emissions scenario, reflecting how the geography of subsidence risk is expected to widen well beyond its traditional South East concentration.
Cooling your home without inflating your energy bill
Alongside the structural risk, amber and yellow heat alerts raise a more immediate cost question for households: how to stay cool without a large jump in the energy bill. Electric fans use only a small fraction of the electricity a portable air conditioning unit does, typically running for a few pence an hour compared with tens of pence an hour for a plug-in air conditioner, making them the cheaper first option for most homes. Closing curtains or blinds on the sunniest side of a property during the day, and ventilating at night when outside air is cooler, reduces the amount of active cooling needed at all. Fridges and freezers work harder in high ambient temperatures, and UKHSA guidance during heat alerts includes checking that fridge and freezer door seals are intact, since a poor seal both drives up running costs and increases the risk of food spoilage during a multi-day amber alert. UKHSA also advises households with elderly or vulnerable residents to keep at least one room cool as a fallback, rather than trying to cool an entire property continuously.
What to do if you notice cracks or movement
The ABI advises that anyone who notices signs of possible subsidence, such as diagonal cracks wider than 3mm, doors and windows that suddenly stick, or wallpaper crinkling at the join between wall and ceiling, should contact their insurer promptly rather than waiting to see if the damage worsens. Insurers typically appoint a structural specialist to investigate the cause before agreeing repair work, and monitoring the property over several months is common practice, since ground movement needs to be tracked to identify whether it has stabilised before permanent repairs such as underpinning are carried out. Claims of this kind can take a number of months to resolve given this monitoring requirement, longer than the timeline for most other types of home insurance claim. Homeowners who have previously claimed for subsidence, or who buy a property with a subsidence history, may find future cover more limited or the excess higher, which is one reason early reporting and accurate declaration at the point of buying insurance matter for keeping cover available in future years.
For further reading on this topic, see AA home insurance review 2026 - buildings, contents and combined cover, Does Home Insurance Cover Subsidence? UK Rules and Claim Rights Explained, Escape of Water in Home Insurance: What Is Covered and How to Claim and FSCS Home Insurance Protection: 90% Cover With No Upper Limit Explained.
This article is for information only and does not constitute financial, legal or tax advice. Rules, rates and figures can change: always check current details with the relevant primary source or a regulated adviser before making a decision.
Sources
- UK Health Security Agency, heat-health alerts (GOV.UK)
- Met Office, weather data supporting UKHSA alert levels
- Association of British Insurers, subsidence and property claims data
- British Geological Survey, soil shrink-swell risk mapping
What is the difference between an amber and a yellow heat-health alert?
An amber alert signals a rise in health risk across the general population and a more significant risk for people over 65 or with existing health conditions. A yellow alert asks health and social care services to prepare, without signalling an immediate widespread risk.
Does home insurance cover subsidence caused by heat?
Yes. Standard buildings insurance covers subsidence, heave and landslip as a core feature of the policy, though a specific excess, typically around £1,000, applies to subsidence claims.
How much is the excess on a subsidence claim?
Most policies apply an excess of around £1,000 for subsidence, higher than the excess for most other types of home insurance claim.
How can I reduce energy costs while cooling my home during a heat alert?
Electric fans cost only a few pence an hour to run compared with a portable air conditioning unit, and closing curtains during the day while ventilating at night reduces how much active cooling is needed.
What should I do if I see cracks appearing in my walls during a heatwave?
Contact your insurer promptly. They will typically appoint a structural specialist to investigate before agreeing repairs, and the property may need to be monitored over several months.
