A house fire overnight in Victoria has been confirmed to have been caused by a dodgy insulation installation. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) have confirmed that insulation installed under the recently cancelled government rebate was to blame.
Fire authorities are now stressing that the risk of fire is greatly increased when insulation is placed directly over or near downlights, as well as other electrical devices such as exhaust and ceiling fans.
In the house fire in Victoria overnight, new batts had been placed directly over downlights, resulting in a two foot high fire. Luckily the home owner had a fire extinguisher on hand to put out the flames.
Read more about the house fire at
The Herald Sun.
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 1:46 PM
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Should car insurance cost more based on your gender? Are women better drivers than men or is it the other way around?
Certainly many car insurance companies charge different premiums based on whether you are a man or a woman and the different risk involved in insuring your car whether you are male or female.
But who really is the better driver, men or women?
A recent blog post from freakonomics listed quite a few entertaining comments from readers on this subject.
My favourite is below:
- My husband usually drives when we’re out together because he THINKS he’s a better driver… Hmmm… I’ve never driven the car into the garage so as to rip off a car door I myself left open. I’ve not ripped bikes off the roof. I’ve never run into a truck, nor backed into an enormous recycling bin, crumpling the rear end. I signal. When I corner, things in the car don’t slide around. But when he drives… well, I’m glad that he has many other skills, like cooking.
-Julie Landon
Head to the freakonomics blog for the rest of the post.
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 1:59 PM
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When people think of taking out home insurance or contents insurance, one of the main reasons is the threat of being robbed in their own homes. And while this is a scary thought, it pays to look on the lighter side of life sometimes.
www.oddee.com have published their list of the 10 most hilarious robbery stories. Lets revisit some now.
1. The men who drew masks on their faces with permanent markers
These guys attempted to disguise themselves by drawing on beards and moustaches on their faces. A witness saw the men with ‘painted faces’ who were soon pulled over by the cops. The thieves didn’t think too carefully though, and using permanent markers on their face, the evidence against them was hard to dispute!
2. The car thief who had his name and date of birth tattooed on his neck
When this car thief broke into a car to steal the GPS unit, he didn’t notice the cameras installed inside the car. Not surprising though, as he was stupid enough to break into a car with his own surname and date of birth tattooed on his neck!
3. The robber who was discovered because he laughed at a joke
A robber was hiding upstairs in a house when the owner told a joke to a friend downstairs. The robber couldn’t help but laugh at the joke, and was heard by the owner who quickly called the police. I really want to know what that joke was!
Perhaps it wasn’t home insurance or contents insurance you were thinking about getting? Car insurance was it? Well this is a great story to tell then!
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 1:54 PM
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It can be hard to understand just how much fuel our cars consume. We don’t even see the litres of petrol we pump into our cars as we stand at the bowser, so it is hard to conceptualise the litres and litres of petrol that each of our cars goes through each week.
The folks over at fightglobalwarming.org have come up with a cute diagram to help everyone visualise the amount of fuel and waste that every car produces every day. The image compares the amount of fuel a car consumes each day to the amount of food a human eats each day. The results are scary.
Click on the image below to access the full size image.
Luckily, there are things that we can do to limit the amount of fuel our cars produce. The most obvious step is to drive less. By driving less our cars use less fuel, and produce less waste.
And if you are driving less, why not look into car insurance that is catered for people who drive less. Pay As You Drive car insurance from Real Insurance is the first of this style of car insurance in Australia, and has won lots of awards for doing so.
So help the environment, drive less and pay less with Pay As You Drive car insurance from Real Insurance.
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 1:50 PM
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It's always a pleasure to share compliments we receive from customers who have just received their Real Bonus.
I've included a few of the latest compliments below, it's lovely to read what a great surprise in the mail the Real Bonus cheque is.
And coincidently enough, we often seem to have incredibly good timing when sending out Real Bonus cheques to our customers, with many customers receiving their cheque in the mail right at the time when they need it most!
Jennifer called to say
"I'm just calling to say I've received my Real Bonus cheque. What a nice surprise it was right after Christmas!"
Katrina and Sandra were two more happy customers who took the time to call for no other reason than to say a big THANKS for their Real Bonus cheques, Katrina said
"what a great surprise" her cheque was, while Sandra commented
"I just got a cheque from you, that's pretty good!"
And finally, the comments that made my day...
Anne called in to say
"Thank you for my Real Bonus cheque, I cried when I received it because you wouldn't’t believe just how much we needed it. I wouldn't’t have expected that much and I didn't’t even think about the fact that we were due. That’s just beautiful and I'm really just ringing to say Thank you ,Thank You ,Thank You. You have made my day”
Here at Real we love bringing a smile to the faces of our customers. Is your Real Bonus cheque due soon? Look out for it in the mail, and we hope you get a nice surprise in the mail too!
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 4:04 PM
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Some good news and fun this Friday as 'Baby' the cat probably saved her owners from a house fire.
Full story below from the
Washington Post.
'Baby' the cat saves Ill. couple from house fire
The Associated Press
Monday, January 18, 2010; 8:47 PM
WONDER LAKE, Ill. -- A couple in the northwestern Chicago suburb of Wonder Lake are searching for a 13-year-old house cat who probably saved their lives during a house fire. Josh Ornberg and Letitia Kovalovsky said their cat, "Baby," woke them early Monday morning as they slept on a couch in the living room. Ornberg said the house was starting to fill with smoke from a fire in the bedroom.
Ornberg called 911 after he could not put out the fire with a home extinguisher.
The couple, who are expecting twins in about two months, got out of the house safely, as did "Baby" and their dog, but "Baby" disappeared a short time later.
Ornberg said the gray, white and brown tabby is strictly an indoor cat, so he hopes she is found soon.
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 11:59 AM
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As news and devastating pictures of the Haiti earthquake emerge today, I am sure we are all thinking of the horror the people of Haiti must be going through, and of the estimated 100,000 people who may have been killed in the quake.
I also think that here in Australia we must be grateful for many things. Firstly, that our country is not often subject to quakes of this magnitude. Secondly, that if such a massive earthquake was to occur, our building standards are of a greater standard and hopefully less devastation would occur than has done so in the shanty towns of Haiti.
Finally, it is reassuring to know that most Australians are both able to access and afford insurance to help protect themselves and their families in such a tragedy. Sadly once again, this is not the case in Haiti- already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, it is hard to imagine how the poverty-stricken people of Haiti will recover from such a disaster.
Information and photos from the Haiti quake are available on news.com.au
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 12:06 PM
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A code red fire warning has been issued today for the first time since the new warning system was introduced. The warning is for Wimmera, VIC where temperatures are predicted to hit 44C today.
Many residents have already evacuated while most business, childcare centres and parks will be closed.
More below from the
Herald Sun
VICTORIANS in bushfire danger zones have been told to flee their homes this morning as the state faces the worst conditions since Black Saturday.
Fire chiefs declared a "code red" catastrophic fire day for the first time as one of Victoria's Bravest died trying to protect his community from another potential disaster.
Much respected firefighter Hugh Monroe, 62, was killed and four other CFA volunteers were injured when their tanker rolled as they headed to a blaze near Benalla.
The Wimmera is on code red today - the country's highest alert - with the mercury set to hit 44C and strong northerly wind forecast.
Extreme bushfire warnings have been declared for most of the state, including Melbourne where the mercury is expected to reach 43C.
Acting Premier Rob Hulls chose the Herald Sun to plead for Victorians to get away from the danger.
"If you didn't leave last night and you are in a code red area and you have no plan or are in doubt, the best advice is to simply get out and get out as early as possible this morning," Mr Hulls said.
He said delays could cost lives.
"If people need to leave, they ought to leave as soon as possible.
"They ought do what they can to protect their loved ones."
As Victoria braced for blistering heat today:
A TOTAL fire ban was declared for the entire state.
CHILDCARE centres, education facilities and some businesses in the Wimmera will be closed.
NATIONAL parks will be shut and holiday-makers urged to leave the bush.
THE CFA has already issued a code red for the north and northeast districts for Moday.
Under code red, residents who plan to leave are advised to get out the night before or early in the morning.
An extreme bushfire warning means residents should be on high alert and constantly monitor developments.
CFA chief fire officer Russell Rees said residents in Melbourne outer-metropolitan areas should be aware of the danger.
"It's vital we give this information because we are concerned about their lives, the lives of their loved ones, and we want people to take action," Mr Rees said. "Do not wait until you see smoke or flames. Leaving as a fire approaches is extremely dangerous and could be fatal."
Mr Hulls said the lessons from Black Saturday must be heeded.
"The experience of Black Saturday shows that even the houses believed to be very defendable in high-risk bushfire-prone areas weren't defendable on a code red-type day," he said.
Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland urged residents in danger zones to leave early.
"The worst thing you can do is be on the roads when there is a fire running," he said.
Department of Sustainability and Environment chief fire officer Ewan Waller issued a warning against travelling to the bush.
"The bush is not a place you want to be - it's as simple as that," he said.
"Even travelling in the bush is something you shouldn't be doing unless you absolutely have to."
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 9:29 AM
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Merry Christmas Australia!
Just a short blog today to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas this year.
Our thoughts especially are with Port Lincoln, South Australia and we wish all the best to the residents of the 13 homes destroyed in the Port Lincoln fires this week.
Have a merry Christmas everyone, and drive safely if out on the roads today.
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 7:12 AM
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Just before Christmas the staff at Real Insurance were busy sanding and painting the hundreds of park benches that are dotted over the 120 acres of the Anglican Retirement Village at Castle Hill.
The many benches provide a vital resting point for elderly residents walking the plentiful grounds of the Village.
The staff at Real Insurance eagerly volunteered to take time out from their busy schedules to spend a day at the Village sanding and painting the benches for the use of residents.
Roger Grobler, CEO of Real Insurance says: “Over the past year, Real has experienced great success and it is time to start giving something back to the communities that have helped us to grow.
“This is one of the first of a series of ‘Real Needs’ initiatives that we will be undertaking in various communities over the coming months. They are simply about our staff caring for people and the company has come to the table by providing those who volunteer with a days paid leave.”
Chris Smith, Maintenance Manager of the 120 acre complex has likened the task of painting the benches to that of painting the Harbour Bridge, as once you finish the job you have to turn around and start again.
Smith explained that to have volunteers help with this mammoth task means his team can focus on improving facilities for the residents rather than just maintaining them.
Over the course of the week, Real Insurance staff donned their hats, sandpaper and paint brushes and worked in pairs to repair the park benches.
The staff at Real were unanimous about the experience. All agreed that it was fantastic to get out and give something back to such important members of the community.
Posted by Rebecca Sendt at 10:36 AM
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