What is home emergency cover?

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Worried about leaks, boiler breakdowns and other domestic disasters that require urgent attention? Find out all about home emergency insurance, what it covers and how it could help you in your time of need.

Accidents and emergencies are all an unfortunate part of life. They’re thankfully rare, but it’s important to be prepared for when they do show up, so that they can be dealt with promptly and you can get on with things with minimal impact. Everybody knows the sinking feeling of waking up on a cold winter’s morning only to be greeted by a boiler that just won’t spring into life, meaning no hot shower and no central heating. In such situations, the most important thing is to get it fixed and fixed quickly. That’s where home emergency cover comes into play.

What is home emergency cover?

Normal home contents insurance covers you for damage to or theft of your possessions, but it isn’t normally a quick enough fix for the issues covered by home emergency cover. Home emergency insurance is especially designed for issues that require urgent attention, such as boiler breakdowns, leaks, gas or electrical failures and pest infestations.

When a domestic emergency strikes, you just call a 24-hour dedicated emergency hotline and an approved tradesperson will be sent out to take care of the problem as soon as possible. Different insurers promise different levels of response to home emergencies, and if you call someone yourself, this won’t be claimable under home emergency cover as you must use a tradesperson appointed by your insurer.

What is covered by home emergency cover?

  • Home Emergency Cover protects you in the event of a wide range of emergencies including:
    Emergency plumbing and drainage issues – If there is a leak in your home, a problem with the water supply or any other fault with the plumbing and drainage system that belongs to you, having home emergency cover means a qualified plumber will be sent around as soon as possible to stop the leak or other problem and attempt to restore normal service.
  • Failure of electricity – Complete loss of electricity within your home due to an issue within your property, as opposed to a supply outage caused by problems before the electricity enters your home, such as industrial action.
  • Problems with your boiler, heating or hot water – If your main heating system fails, leaving you without hot water or central heating, an approved tradesperson will be sent to address the problem and fix the boiler. If it isn’t fixable, you’ll get a fixed amount towards the cost of a new one. Always check the wording of your policy to make sure your boiler qualifies.
  • Roof damage – This provides cover to make the roof of your home watertight to prevent further damage. However, it won’t cover repairs to flat roofs.
  • Pest infestations – If rats, mice, squirrels, cockroaches, wasps or hornets set up residence inside your home, an approved pest controller will be sent to remove your unwanted guests as quickly as possible.
  • Problems with locks, windows and doors – If your home is left exposed because of broken external
    doors or windows, having home emergency cover means a locksmith, carpenter or other appropriate tradesperson will be arranged to make your home safe and secure.