UK spends £3.1bn on fixing or replacing broken gadgets

An estimated £3.1 billion has been spent in the UK on fixing or replacing broken gadgets in the last five years, according to research.

Mobile phones are the item most likely to meet an accidental end, with around 8 million phones damaged in the last five years.

A survey of 2,000 UK homeowners has revealed that 5.3 million laptops and PCs and 4.1 million cameras have also suffered at the hands of their un-coordinated owners in that time.

Water damage is the greatest phone-killer, accounting for 23 percent of mobile phone and 7 percent of laptop insurance claims.

Kat Robinson, head of TSB Insurance, which commissioned the research, said: “Now more than ever we rely on our gadgets to get through the day, so it’s unfortunate when they are taken out of action unexpectedly.

“The time and expense of dealing with smashed screens and defective equipment is a major gripe that many of us are needlessly suffering through, because of having no insurance or picking inadequate protection.”

The research revealed the more unusual ways to destroy your digital appliances. One unlucky survey respondent had their phone consumed by a hungry horse, while another had it slip out of their hands and into the toilet bowl while trying to take a selfie in the loo – toilet damage however is probably more common than what users admit to.

The study also revealed our typical “walking wealth” – the cost of the gadgets we carry around with us on a daily basis – at an average of £288 per person. Which may be an under-estimate if you’re walking around with an uninsured iPhone that is under contract, and which is worth around £600 retail.

According to the research, three quarters of home owners cover themselves with home and contents insurance, while just one in ten covers their gadgets as well as their home and contents.

When asked to choose which gadget they consider most precious to them, a third chose their mobile phone, while just over a quarter chose their laptop or PC.

Almost a fifth of mobile users have experienced a smashed or broken screen. In these cases, only one in ten were able to make an insurance claim to get the screen fixed, while 6 percent carried on with a broken display.

@AntonySavvas