Monday, February 1, 2010
Category:
Home Improvements
With recent spells of wintry weather causing many employed Brits to stay at home due to road and school closures, RSA has revealed that a day of ‘severe snow’ could cost the economy £690 million.
Experts had predicted that the snowstorm experienced in February of last year, would result in 20 percent of the UK’s workforce staying at home rather than heading to work. This was equivalent to 6.4 million people. However, current bouts of snow are reportedly worse than those faced in 2009 and could lead to a minimum economic loss of £14 billion according to RSA. The reason for this is a drop in productivity and turnover, with some local businesses even being forced to shut shop for the day as a result of trade and staff shortages.
Media Relations Manager at RSA, Marc Charlton, commented, "In weather conditions such as these, especially with the worry about the lack of grit in some areas, it's imperative that businesses take extra precautions to help them continue trading. For those who work in offices, ensuring employees can log in to office systems from home will save businesses a lot of aggravation and lost revenue when staff are snowed in. It also means people won't feel they need to battle on dangerous roads to make it into the office. This is the third consecutive year we've seen snow like this - businesses must equip themselves to operate safely in conditions that keep their staff out of the office."
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Those who have been stuck at home as a result of snowy or icy conditions could consider embarking upon some home improvements, such as touching up scuffed paintwork or giving carpets a thorough steam clean. Homeowners who would then like to take these projects a step further once temperatures have returned to normal could consider taking out a
secured loan to fund some larger projects. One of many finance options available, a secured loan for home improvements could allow borrowers to completely re-decorate their house for example. Furthermore, homes that have been a little chilly, perhaps due to a broken down central heating system, could be warmed up with a new and improved version.
