2025 Hanover Home Report Finds Homeowners Have Ample Opportunities to Increase Home Safety

Rhea-AI Summary

The Hanover Insurance Group's 2025 Home Report reveals significant gaps between homeowners' awareness of safety measures and their implementation. Based on a Harris Poll survey of 1,100+ American homeowners, the study found high awareness but low adoption of protective technologies. For water damage prevention, while 79% know about water sensors, only 16% have installed them. Similarly, 61% are aware of fortified roofs, but just 17% have upgraded to them. Fire safety showed better adoption, with 67% having smoke detectors installed. Notably, roof inspection rates improved from 38% in 2024 to 57% in 2025. The report emphasizes the growing importance of proactive home protection measures as weather patterns become more severe, highlighting the gap between risk awareness and actual implementation of preventive solutions.

Positive

• Increased awareness of home safety measures with 79% of homeowners aware of water sensors and 76% aware of automatic water shutoff devices
• Significant improvement in roof inspection rates from 38% in 2024 to 57% in 2025
• High adoption rate of basic fire safety measures with 67% having smoke detectors installed
• 62% of homeowners maintained dryer vent ducts in the past 12 months

Negative

• Low adoption rate of water protection technology with only 16% having water sensors installed
• Only 13% of homes have automatic water shutoff devices despite high awareness
• Just 17% have updated their roofs with fortified materials despite known risks
• Merely 10% have installed wind-rated garages despite weather-related risks

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New data shows homeowners are becoming more aware of risk prevention options

WORCESTER, Mass., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the 2025 Hanover Home Report: Loss Prevention released today by The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), many homeowners¹ still can take steps to protect their homes from significant and costly damage. The report highlights opportunities for increased awareness and adoption of new technologies and solutions to improve home maintenance and mitigate risk.

The Hanover commissioned The Harris Poll to survey more than 1,100 American homeowners to better understand the actions they are taking to protect what is one of their biggest assets, as well as their knowledge regarding high-risk areas in and around their homes. Results from the study include:

Water damage prevention:

• Risk area: Water damage that isn't caused by weather is a common reason for home insurance claims, affecting a significant number of homeowners each year.
• Awareness: 79% of homeowners are aware of water sensors, and 76% have heard of about automatic water shutoff devices that can prevent extensive water damage.
• Action: Only 16% of homeowners have installed water sensors or made sure their homes already had them, and only 13% have installed automatic water shutoff devices or made sure their homes already had them.

Structural safety:

• Risk area: Wind and hail damage are also frequent causes of home insurance claims, with many homeowners filing related claims each year.
• Awareness: 61% of homeowners are aware of fortified roofs, and 59% know of wind-rated garages.
• Action: 17% have updated their roofs with fortified materials, and 10% have installed wind-rated garages or made sure their homes already had them. In The Hanover's 2024 Home Maintenance Report, only 38% of homeowners had checked their roofs in the past 12-months, whereas this year, 57% said they checked their roofs condition in the past 12 months, possibly indicating the industry's focus on roof protection may have made homeowners more aware of the need to do so.

Fire prevention:

• Risk area: Fire-related incidents are among the most serious types of home insurance claims, often resulting in substantial financial losses.
• Awareness: 99% of homeowners are aware of smoke detectors, and 97% are aware of fire alarms.
• Action: 67% have installed smoke detectors or made sure their home already had them, and 62% have cleaned dryer vent ducts in the past 12 months. Servicing HVAC systems or changing filters is a crucial step in home fire prevention - 57% of homeowners have done this in the past 12 months.

In response to these results, some actionable tips homeowners can take to help protect their homes include:

• Installing water sensors and automatic shutoff devices: These devices reduce the impact of water losses. Water sensors are a low-cost investment and easy to install.
• Performing regular property inspections: Annual checks of water heaters, roofs, and HVAC systems can identify potential issues early and ultimately prevent costly damage.
• Trimming trees and cleaning gutters: Regular maintenance can prevent wind and hail damage, especially before a storm happens.
• Fire safety measures: Installing smoke detectors and cleaning dryer vents monthly are simple yet effective ways to prevent fires.

"As weather becomes more severe and risks evolve, it's more important than ever that homeowners take proactive measures to protect their homes and the significant financial investments they represent," said Daniel C. Halsey, president of personal lines at The Hanover. "Homeowners don't want to experience the stress and disruption that often accompany a loss. Taking care of properties can help homeowners reduce the impact. As an industry, we've made progress on educating customers to raise awareness but there's more to be done, especially to help homeowners take actionable steps to protect their homes."

The 2025 Hanover Home Report: Loss Prevention underscores the importance of adopting new technologies and solutions for homeowner protection. With the professional help and advice of their insurance agents, homeowners can better understand the importance of monitoring and maintaining specific areas of the home, including roofs, gutters, and hot water heaters, ultimately reducing the chance of costly damage.

To view the full results of the 2025 Hanover Home Report: Loss Prevention and learn more about home protection, please click here.

About The Hanover  
The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is the holding company for several property and casualty insurance companies, which together constitute one of the largest insurance businesses in the United States. The company provides exceptional insurance solutions through a select group of independent agents and brokers. Together with its agent partners, The Hanover offers standard and specialized insurance protection for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as for homes, automobiles, and other personal items. For more information, please visit hanover.com. 

This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not provide any coverage or guarantee prevention of loss. All products are underwritten by The Hanover Insurance Company or one of its insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates ("The Hanover"). Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions and is subject to the company underwriting guidelines and the issued policy. This material is provided for informational purposes only and does not provide any coverage. (For more information visit www.hanover.com.)

Survey method
The 2025 survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Hanover from March 25 - 27, 2025 among 1,111 adults ages 18 and older who own a house.  The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval.  For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 3.6 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.

CONTACTS:
Kyle Tildsley	Emily P. Trevallion
ktildsley@hanover.com	etrevallion@hanover.com
508-855-3287	508-855-3263

_________________________

1 For the purposes of this report, homeowners refer to those individuals who own a house.

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SOURCE The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc.

FAQ

What are the key findings of The Hanover Insurance Group's 2025 Home Report?

The report reveals a significant gap between awareness and implementation of home safety measures, with high awareness of protective technologies (79% for water sensors) but low adoption rates (16% installation rate for water sensors). Fire safety measures showed better adoption with 67% having smoke detectors.

How many homeowners have installed water damage prevention devices according to THG's 2025 report?

According to the report, only 16% of homeowners have installed water sensors and 13% have installed automatic water shutoff devices, despite awareness levels of these technologies being around 79% and 76% respectively.

What improvement did The Hanover's 2025 report show in roof inspection rates?

The report showed that roof inspection rates improved significantly, increasing from 38% in 2024 to 57% in 2025, indicating greater awareness of roof protection importance.

What are the main home safety recommendations from The Hanover's 2025 report?

The report recommends installing water sensors and automatic shutoff devices, performing regular property inspections of water heaters, roofs, and HVAC systems, trimming trees and cleaning gutters regularly, and implementing fire safety measures like smoke detectors and monthly dryer vent cleaning.

What percentage of homeowners have implemented fire safety measures according to THG's 2025 report?

The report shows that 67% of homeowners have installed smoke detectors, 62% have cleaned dryer vent ducts in the past 12 months, and 57% have serviced HVAC systems or changed filters.