Escape of Water incidents affect three in five HNW property owners
Research from specialist insurer Ecclesiastical has found 60% of high-net-worth (HNW) property owners have experienced an escape of water incident in the last five years.
Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc (“Ecclesiastical”), the specialist insurance group*, today announces its 2025 interim results.
Ecclesiastical’s commitment to excellence continues to earn widespread acclaim, with its award-winning service recognised through a series of honours including:
Mark Hews, Group Chief Executive Officer of Ecclesiastical, said:
“Ecclesiastical has achieved an improved result in the first half of 2025, delivering sustainable, profitable growth despite the challenging economic environment. Premiums2 grew by 1.5% compared to the same period in 2024, driven by new business wins and strong retention in the UK. This resulted in a solid underwriting performance, and together with a good net investment result, we delivered an overall profit before tax of £54.5m, an improvement on last year’s interim results (£41.4m).
“For general insurance, we reported a strong underwriting profit** of £20.2m compared to £20.4m in 2024, despite some weather-related pressures.
“As a trusted specialist insurer, we continue to protect some of the nation’s most cherished buildings, a responsibility we take with utmost seriousness. Through our tailored risk management expertise, we support our customers in protecting what matters most, and when the unexpected happens, our award-winning claims team is ready to provide a swift, compassionate service. Our dedication to customer excellence remains unwavering, and in the first half of the year, we were once again honoured with industry recognition, including our claims team retaining Gracechurch’s Service Quality Marque for a fourth consecutive year, and Fairer Finance’s Home Insurance Gold Ribbon for the 21st time in a row.
“I’m delighted that we’ve agreed to donate £8m to charity in recognition of our half-year performance, which will fund vital grants for those experiencing the most acute challenges across society. Driven by our commitment to the greater good, we were proud to surpass our giving ambition of £250m to good causes since 2014 ahead of schedule - an ambition set by our immediate parent company, Benefact Group¹, recognised as the UK’s third largest corporate donor over the past decade***.
“We remain deeply grateful to all our supporters for their continued belief in our mission. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our colleagues, brokers, customers, and partners. Your support not only fuels our business, but also empowers us to make a lasting, meaningful difference in people’s lives both in the UK and internationally.”
* The ‘Group’ refers to Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc together with its subsidiaries. The ‘Benefact Group’ and ‘wider group’ refer to Benefact Group plc, the immediate parent company of Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc, together with its subsidiaries. The ‘Benefact Trust’ and ‘the Trust’ refer to Benefact Trust Limited, the ultimate parent undertaking of Ecclesiastical Insurance Office plc.
** The Group uses Alternative Performance Measures (APMs) to help explain performance. More information on APMs is included in note 17.
*** Directory of Social Change’s The Guide to UK Company Giving 2017-26.