The hidden treasure of British kitchens the freezer, a new survey reveals. But around 35 per cent of insurance claims will be made during the summer months when rising temperatures cause freezers to break down.

With millions of people across the UK set to hold barbecues over the bank holiday this weekend, it would be an absolute nightmare for the freezer, packed full of all those gourmet goodies to suddenly break down.

"It’s not just the hungry guests that need to be dealt with," said Vicky Emmott, senior underwriting manager at Halifax Home Insurance. "It’s the financial burden of all that food going to waste. Having your freezer contents covered against damage by your insurer can make a huge difference."

Once a freezer’s power is off, the food inside is exposed to a risk of contamination. Without power and with the door shut, a full well-functioning freezer unit should keep food frozen for 48 hours, and a half-full freezer for about 24 hours. Always check with your manufacturer though. Halifax Home Insurance stresses that if there is any doubt over food safety people are advised to throw it away.

Tips that can help:

• Keep the door shut to trap in the cold.
• Insulate the unit with duvets, blankets, newspaper etc. but be sure to remove these before turning the unit back on.
• Keep air vents clear.
• Refer to the manufacturer’s instructions and always call out an electrician rather than attempting to fix it yourself.
• Ask friends and neighbours to store any food that can be saved (non-meat products). But food safety must come first, if in doubt throw it out.
• Photographic evidence of spoilt food may needed for a claim.8
• Bring your barbecue forward?

Claims

Most companies offer food replacement cover as standard on home insurance policies however to aid the claims process it's advisable to take a photograph of your food before disposing of it.

The insurer expects the industry to receive spoilt frozen food claims in excess of £6.8 million this year and estimates Britain’s households store over £3.7 billion worth of food in their freezer. Apparently, the Northern Irish have the most opulent freezers.