Britons who fail to shop around for a competitive home insurance cover are likely to pay significantly extra on their insurance policy, it has been claimed by confused.com.

The insurance comparison site has revealed that the average consumer who used their site to shop around for home insurance cover saved just under £200 over the course of the year. The site has accused many policy holders of being lazy when it comes to purchasing insurance and as such failing to recognize good deals when they see them.  

Simon Lamble, product director at Confused.com, said: "Comparison sites enable users to search a cross-section of the market, for the best priced products.

"As more and more customers turn to the internet to purchase insurance, it is hoped that the UK can claw back some of the billions lost through laissez faire attitudes towards finance, and particularly towards insurance."

He concluded: "It is certainly worth shopping around on comparison sites for the best possible deals. Many people never change their insurer out of loyalty, but it is important to look into whether the insurer in question is being loyal to the customer."