Published 10 September 2024
How to be prepared for home emergencies
Published 10 September 2024
What is a home emergency?
A home emergency describes an unexpected, urgent situation in your home that calls for immediate attention to keep you safe and reduce the risk of further damage to your property, or leave you without an essential service. This could be caused by a serious plumbing leak, flood, electrical failure, fire or even structural damage caused by a storm, for example. Many insurance providers offer specific cover for home emergencies.
What can I do to prepare for a home emergency?
There are a number of things you can do to get ready in case the worst should happen and you experience a home emergency. GOV.UK lists some simple and effective steps to help you prepare for such a scenario. These include making sure you have the right level of home insurance for your property and:
1. Completing an online home fire safety check and adding a reminder on your phone to test smoke alarms every month
2. Making a plan or a list of what to do in the event of various emergency situations, including evacuation routes and meeting points. You can download their handy household emergency plan
3. Preparing a home emergency kit, including essentials like food, water, first-aid kit, torch, batteries and important documents, like passports, birth certificates and other important information, including insurance policies and a list of local emergency numbers
4. Reminding yourself what to do in case of a leak andhow to switch off your gas, electric and water at the mains
5. Staying up to date with local weather reports and emergency alerts, so you’re aware of any risks in your area
What am I covered for under home emergency?
As the name suggests, home emergency cover isn’t for routine maintenance, like getting your boiler serviced. It’s there in case something unexpected happens and something goes wrong. Here are some examples of the kind of thing you’re covered for under home emergency:
- Heating emergencies, e.g. when your boiler breaks down.
- Plumbing emergencies, e.g. when a water pipe bursts.
- Unexpected roofing problems, e.g. when your tiles come off in a storm.
- Pest infestations, such as wasps or rats.
- Losing your gas supply or electrical power.
- Keeping your home secure, like fixing damaged windows and doors, and sorting the problem if your house keys are lost or stolen.
To find out exactly what’s included with your home emergency cover, it’s always best to refer to your home insurance policy documents.
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