Irish families splashing out to stay in

NEARLY half of Irish families have acquired a home entertainment system in the past two years, as staying in has become the new going out.

More than half the men surveyed revealed they had splurged on home entertainment systems such as 3D televisions, Blu-ray players and motion sensor games consoles.

Not surprisingly, a survey by AA Home Insurance found men are investing more in home entertainment gadgets than women.

But that did not deter almost 40% of the women surveyed saying they had also invested in one or more home entertainment devices in the same period.

The poll, involving 15,280 respondents, also highlighted a stronger demand among the younger generation for the latest in home entertainment technology.

Some 53% of the 17 to 24-year-olds polled said they had splashed the cash on such devices in the past two years, compared to 37.4% in the over-65s age group.

Meanwhile, on a county-by-county basis, people in Leitrim, Monaghan and Meath emerged as most likely to have acquired a home entertainment system.

With reports that burglaries were up almost 10% in Ireland during the first quarter of 2011 compared with the same period last year, AA Home Insurance warned homeowners and tenants to ensure any home entertainment purchases are factored into their house contents cover.

Just 17% of those surveyed who had invested in a entertainment system in the last two years said they had incorporated the items at their full value into their home contents policies.

AA Insurance commercial director John Farrell said people should ensure such purchases are covered in the event of damage.

“More people are choosing to have fun in their own homes these days, often due to reduced disposable income. With this, we’re seeing many households upgrade their home entertainment systems but forgetting to bolt their new investments onto their house contents policy.

“A decent home cinema system or 3D television, for example, costs €1,000 upwards, so it’s well worth adding them to your home content policy so that they are covered in the event of fire, flooding, burglary and depending on your policy for accidental damage,” he said.