What are the benefits of home emergency cover?

Having a home emergency can never come at a good time, and regardless of how carefully you take care of your home and appliances, there’s no way to completely offset the risk.   

The only thing you can do is make sure you’re prepared mentally and financially in case the worst should happen. That way, no matter whether it’s a boiler breakdown in the middle of winter or a burst pipe, you know the problem will be seen to soon enough.   

So, if you’re looking for insurance that could make your life just that bit easier in a future emergency, home emergency cover is certainly worth considering. But what are the benefits?  

In this article we’ll go over: 

• What is home emergency cover? 
• What does emergency home cover include? 
• What isn’t included in your policy? 
• What are the benefits of home emergency cover? 
• The bottom line: Is home emergency cover worth it? 

What is home emergency cover? 

Home emergency cover, also known as Home Emergency Insurance, covers you for unexpected home disasters that could otherwise leave you in a tight financial situation.  

For example, if you have an issue with your electrics, plumbing, drains and pipes, boiler, heating system or roof, home emergency insurance will provide an engineer to carry out repairs.  

Home emergency cover is also sometimes confused with standard home insurance, but there are key differences between the two policies. Home insurance will help cover the cost of repairing damage caused by an incident (as well as replacing belongings). However, home emergency insurance will cover the cost of repairing the emergency itself, for example, fixing a burst pipe.  

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See also: What is home emergency cover?

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What does emergency home cover include? 

Exactly what types of incidents you’re covered for will depend on the emergency home provider you’ve chosen, as policies will differ slightly.  

However, to provide an idea of the areas your policy might cover, here is what a Home Emergency Insurance might cover: 

• Plumbing repairs 
• Electrical rewiring 
• Boiler repairs 
• Heating system repairs 
• Pest infestation removal 
• Lost keys 
• Security repairs after a break-in 
• Repairs to roof storm damage 

What isn’t included in your policy? 

Similarly to what is included in your policy, what isn’t included will depend on which provider you choose, as every policy is slightly different.   

However, to give you an idea of what to expect, here is a list of exemptions that might not be included in your policy. 

• Issues known to you when you took out the policy   
• Routine maintenance of items covered  
• If your home is left unoccupied for 60 or more consecutive days   
• With plumbing cover, we don’t include leaks from household appliances 
• Emergency boiler cover is only valid after your manufacturing warranty has expired 
• Pest infestation for non-covered pests (including but not limited to ants, fleas, bedbugs, spiders, flies, squirrels, and bees)   
• Loss of your keys if another set exists   
• Any work carried out by you or any other person which was not authorised by the claims administrator 

What are the benefits of home emergency cover? 

Your home is your safe space, so investing in anything that can help you in the instance that something goes wrong is worth considering.

But other than insuring the place you call home, what are the specific benefits?   

Spread the costs  

When a home emergency happens, there are a few things that can make the situation even more stressful, one of them being finding the money to take care of the problem  

Without home emergency cover, you might find yourself worrying about how you’ll afford to stop the problem from escalating and how much of an impact such a large expense might have on your future finances. And, for some people, this might prevent them from seeking professional repair.   

With emergency home insurance, your small monthly payments will help you spread the cost out over a year, making payments far more manageable.   

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See also: How much does a boiler service cost

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Save money  

When it comes to insurance, many people make the mistake of viewing their policy as an additional expense rather than a potential money-saving provision. And, while you will have to pay for your policy before an incident occurs, if you do need to make a claim, you could save hundreds of pounds.   

The average cost to repair a leaking pipe in the UK is £330 (Checkatrade, 2023), and that’s without considering the cost of an emergency call-out or any additional issues that need addressing. Furthermore, the cost of boiler breakdown repair can be as much as £500 (Checkatrade, 2023).  

So, with the cost of some home emergency cover starting at £32.58 per year (Save More Money, 2023), with just one claim, you could be saving hundreds.   

Peace of mind 

You can never underestimate the value of peace of mind and, fortunately, it’s something home emergency cover can offer.   

The nature of a home emergency is that you never know when it’s going to happen. Of course, there are things you can do to make emergency incidents less likely, like taking proper care of your home and arranging regular boiler servicing. However, unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to completely eradicate the risk.   

But, with a home emergency policy, you can at least enjoy the peace of mind that if something critical were to happen, you know where to turn. 

The bottom line: Is home emergency cover worth it? 

So, is home emergency cover worth it? Well, there’s no right or wrong answer to this, and only you can decide if you’ll benefit from a policy.   

However, after taking into consideration the financial benefits and peace of mind a policy can provide, home emergency cover should be on your radar.

And, if you’re looking for a policy that’s affordable and covers you for a range of home emergencies, why not consider purchasing a policy with Save More Money? From £32.58, you can rest assured that if an emergency should happen, you’re covered.