A GARVARY resident has issued a stark warning to householders across Fermanagh after the cost of his home insurance doubled following changes to the county’s post code system.
The resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, claimed that his home insurance rose from £386 to £620 a year because the new address database system now classes parts of Garvary, on the outskirts of Enniskillen, as a ‘rural area’.
Thousands of properties across Fermanagh were given new addresses, including post codes, as part of an overhaul by Fermanagh District Council and Royal Mail.
But, while it brought years of confusion and frustration to an end for many residents, others have had their share of problems.
The Garvary resident, who has lived at the same address for almost 30 years said he has been left out-of-pocket because of the changes to the post codes.
“My postcode changed from BT74 to BT94 last year, so that means it’s now classed as a rural area,” he said.
“We went to renew our home insurance as it was up for renewal this weekend and when I gave the broker the information from the new postcode and address, they came back to me and said that with this post code they are quoting almost double compared to what it used to be, from £386 to £620 for the year.
“That’s a huge difference compared to what I have been paying.
“Potentially that could affect a lot of people as several homes in this area have had their address changed.
“Once they quoted on that information they can’t really change it, so the broker then went to another company based on my old postcode which I can still use at times. I was then able to get a reduced quote but that will work only for a short time.
“I have lived at the same house for almost 30 years and have had four different postcodes allocated to us in the last 15 years. It’s not very sensible to change the postcodes and have these extra charges.
“Insurance companies just see numbers and work from there.”
When asked for a comment, Royal Mail spokesman Barbara Roulston said: “The postcode is a Royal Mail operational tool designed to ensure the accurate sorting, routing and delivery of our customers’ mail. “Postcode boundaries do not necessarily reflect geographical or administrative boundaries.
“Royal Mail does not normally change postcodes unless there is a pressing operational reason to do so though, under the Code of Practice for postal addressing, there is a process for customers to request a change.”
To read more.. Subscribe to current edition
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere