Home emergency protection
Home emergency is a form of cover designed to help you cope should a sudden crisis or emergency hit your home. Unfortunately, such things do happen and few of us are immune from the occasional bout of bad luck around the home.
Home emergency cover typically covers the financial costs of urgent call-out remedial action in the event your property is struck by one of the following:
• problems relating to water or plumbing supplies providing the problem is within your property;
• blocked drains or related problems if, once again, the emergency event is on your property;
• a failed heating system;
• a failure of the electrical supply should the fault is on your property;
• pest infestation;
The insurance policy may typically be able to provide assistance with:
• the costs of emergency accommodation if your home becomes temporarily unlivable
• service and maintenance of your boiler,(providing that the level of cover your choose includes this.)
Generally costs may be extremely high and insurance may be a financial lifeline in such a crisis.
In all cases conditions may apply and typically the policy would need to be read carefully to ensure it was providing the cover required.
Considerations
As may be seen from the list above, home emergency cover functions to protect you and your property from problems that arise with its boundaries.
What this means is that:
• typically it will not meet the costs of resolving problems that have arisen elsewhere even if they are affecting your life – examples may include a blocked mains sewer, an external electricity supply problem or a leak that originates from neighbour’s property;
• in the case of you renting your home emergencies are typically covered by your landlord and protection is not needed
• as a landlord, you may require landlord’s insurance cover – home insurance home emergency policies may not cover property that you’re renting out;
• this type of insurance policy is taken out alongside your traditional buildings and contents protection, the policy is not designed to replace these and they do not provide protection such as theft or vandalism, as does your buildings and contents cover.
This is not necessarily a comprehensive list and it is typically in your best interests to read the terms and conditions of a policy carefully before making a decision.
contents and buildings insurance compared to protection for emergencies
Any protection you are given in your home emergency policy is designed with the aim of providing help with any immediate crisis. They do not provide protection financially for extensive building restoration, property replacement or long-term remedial activities.
The benefits to be found in your home emergency cover are typically not to be found in your buildings and contents insurance. However always read the small print of any policy to ensure you do not double up on insurance and to compare the benefits of each.
Home insurance home emergency policies may play a powerful part in the overall protection you provide for your home. Obtaining more information on them may be the first step towards enhancing your protection levels.
