Protect your home against emergencies
Every homeowner dreads a crisis. Whether it’s a burst pipe flooding the kitchen or a boiler breakdown in the middle of winter, it’s going to be inconvenient and expensive to repair. Make sure you’re covered for these home emergencies.
1. Power failure
The loss of your power supply can be hugely disruptive to your daily life. Without electricity or gas, you may not be able to cook, watch TV, use the internet, take a shower or see where you’re going.
Having home insurance can help you get the problem fixed quickly if wires or gas pipes are damaged by severe weather or your electricity supply is lost because of a fault inside your home.
2. Burst pipes
A water leak in your home can cause substantial damage, so it’s important to identify the problem quickly. Pipes can burst, particularly if they get frozen in winter.
Most standard buildings insurance policies include cover for the damage caused by burst pipes, but they may not cover the cost of repairing the pipes themselves. For this you would need home emergency cover. A qualified plumber would be sent round straight away to stop the leak.
3. Boiler breakdowns
We rely on hot water for showers, baths and washing the dishes. And we turn on the heating when it’s cold. A boiler breakdown can be very inconvenient.
Emergency cover can help you get the problem sorted, although there may be caveats. Some insurers won’t insure your boiler if it’s more than 15 years old and may also insist it is serviced annually. Some will also only cover certain times of the year as a boiler breakdown in summer isn’t considered an emergency.
(Emergency cover is an optional extra with HSBC Home Insurance)
4. Roof damage
Your roof protects you from the elements – and damage to it from a storm could leave your possessions exposed. Without home insurance, it can be expensive to fix. Buildings insurance will normally cover the cost of repairs, as long as the damage isn’t due to general wear and tear.
If tiles come off and expose the inside of your house, emergency cover can help make your home secure again to prevent further damage.
5. Burglaries
Burglary is, in the main, an opportunistic crime, so taking steps to secure your home using sturdy locks and alarms can protect you – and may lower your home insurance premium.
If you’re unfortunate enough to be the victim of a break-in where force was used, your contents insurance should cover the cost of replacing any stolen items.
If your home is left unsecure because of broken locks, doors or windows, you can get them fixed quickly if you have emergency assistance as part of your home insurance.
6. Leaks
The cause of water leaks isn’t always obvious. If your home insurance includes trace and access cover it means the costs of finding the source of a water leak should be covered. Many home insurance policies include trace and access cover as standard, but not all, so make sure you check.
7. Lost keys
Replacing locks and keys if your keys are lost or stolen can be very expensive. If your home insurance includes lock replacement it should cover the cost.
8. Pest infestation
You might find that rats, mice, wasps, cockroaches or even squirrels set up residence in your home. Most home emergency policies don’t cover you for pest infestation as standard, but you may be able to add it on. If you’re covered, a pest controller will be sent to remove your unwanted guests.
(Pest infestation cover is an optional extra with HSBC Home Insurance)
Are you protected?
Some insurers include home emergency cover as part of their standard home insurance, while others let you add it as an optional extra. Having emergency cover means that a problem can be resolved quickly without you having the hassle of finding an emergency contractor or facing hefty repair bills.
(Emergency cover is an optional extra with HSBC Home Insurance)
Did you know...? A home with no security measures is five times more likely to be burgled than if it has basic door and window locks in place.
Did you know quote source - https://www.police.uk/crime-prevention-advice/burglary/
