What is Home Emergency Cover? (And Who Needs It)

Have you been wondering about getting home emergency cover? Not sure what counts as an emergency or if the extra cost is worth it?

Here, we look at everything you need to know about home emergency cover. And we’ll also share some tips to cut the risk of needing to make a claim.

What is home emergency cover?

Home emergency cover is there for those disasters that come completely out of the blue. That could be anything from a burst water pipe to an invasion of mice. 

If you have home emergency cover, your insurance company will arrange for someone to fix the problem. And your insurance will cover (or at least, contribute towards) the bill. It may also cover temporary accommodation costs if it’s impossible to stay in your home.

It’s designed to deal with the immediate issue, but it won’t cover the costs of putting things back the way they were. So if your burst pipe has wrecked your carpet, for example, the price of a replacement wouldn’t be included. You’d need to claim for that on your main home insurance.

What counts as an emergency?

Insurers look at the impact of the incident to decide whether it’s really an emergency. Most policies define an emergency as a problem that has to be fixed urgently because:

it’s putting your health at riskit could permanently damage your home, orit’s making your home unsafe or compromising its security. 

The kinds of things that usually fall into those categories are:

Plumbing or drainage issues. Remember, though, that to count as an emergency, they must be things that need to be fixed urgently. So while a burst pipe or blocked drain will probably count, a leaking tap won’t. And your policy won’t usually cover drainage issues outside your property, or tracing the source of a leak.
Boiler or central heating breakdown. Some policies will have exclusions, though. They may cover the boiler but not the central heating system. And you may only be covered for winter breakdowns.
Electrical failure. If your fuse box blows, you should be covered. But you won’t be able to claim for a power outage if it’s the National Grid that’s to blame.
Roof damage. If your roof is damaged in a storm, your home emergency insurance should have you covered (literally!). But your policy won’t cover issues caused by general wear and tear or poor maintenance.
Pest infestations. Rats, mice and wasp invasions are usually covered. But other critters may not be.
Broken locks, doors or windows. Some policies also cover lost or stolen house keys.

Does home emergency cover roof leaks?

It usually depends on what’s caused the leak. For example, if it was the result of sudden damage from high winds, you’re likely to be covered. But if the damage results from a longstanding problem you haven’t fixed, you almost certainly won’t be.

And some policies will only pay out if the leak has caused damage inside your home.

Does home emergency cover include boiler repairs?

Most home emergency policies will cover boiler repairs. But they may only pay out if certain conditions are met. 

They might, for example, require your boiler to be under a certain age or outside the period covered by the manufacturer’s warranty. And they might ask for evidence that it’s been regularly serviced.

What isn’t covered by home emergency cover?

Home emergency cover is all about dealing with the incident that’s causing an immediate problem. It won’t cover:

Problems caused by general wear and tear or poor maintenanceDamp and rotMinor problems — like a dripping tap or a single faulty electrical socketOlder boilers, usually 7 years or older, or those that haven’t been regularly serviced or are still covered by the manufacturer’s warrantyInfestations of protected species — if you have bats in your belfry, you’ll need to leave them in peace!Damage caused by hard water deposits or sludgeDamage to unoccupied properties — most policies exclude properties that haven’t been occupied for either 30 or 60 daysCosts above the limit — most policies will cap costs per claim, and there may also be a cap on the number of claims you can make in a yearFurther repairs after the emergency fix Damage resulting from the emergency 

Some policies will have other exclusions, too, like claims made within 14 days of the policy start date. Check what’s in and out carefully before you sign on the dotted line.

Why do you need home emergency cover?

Asking yourself, “Do I need home emergency cover?” Well, there’s no law that says you have to have it. But for some people, it can offer peace of mind that there’s someone to help when disaster strikes.