With Storm Austen set to bring strong winds and heavy rain to parts of the UK, now’s a good time to check whether your home insurance would cover the damage, because finding out you’re not fully protected after a storm could leave you facing an expensive repair bill.
According to the Environment Agency’s National Flood Risk Assessment, around 6.3 million homes and businesses in England are in areas at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water. But having buildings and contents insurance doesn’t necessarily mean you’re covered against every type of storm or flood damage. Exclusions, excesses and outdated policy details could all affect your claim.
Craig Morgan, an insurance expert, recommends five checks that could save you money and unnecessary stress if your home is damaged.
1. Check what your home insurance actually covers
Don’t assume your home insurance covers everything, buildings insurance generally protects the structure of your home, including walls, roofs and permanent fixtures.
Contents insurance covers your belongings, such as furniture, appliances and electronics.
Most standard home insurance policies include some protection against storms and flooding, but exclusions and limits vary.
Check whether you’re covered for flood damage, storm damage and any related costs, such as temporary accommodation if your home becomes uninhabitable.
Pay particular attention to exclusions. For example, your insurer may refuse to cover damage caused by poor maintenance or general wear and tear.
The Financial Ombudsman Service explains how insurers assess home insurance claims and the circumstances in which disputes can arise.
2. Find out how much you’d have to pay towards a claim
Your insurance excess is the amount you contribute when you make a claim.
You might have a standard excess of £100 or £250, for example, but a much higher excess for flooding or other specific types of damage.
Check your policy schedule rather than relying on the headline excess you agreed to when taking out the insurance.
Knowing how much you’d need to pay could help you avoid an expensive surprise when you’re already facing repair bills.
3. Make sure your property details are up to date
Have you extended your home, converted your loft or made significant renovations since taking out your insurance?
Changes to your property could affect the cover you need.
Check that your insurer has accurate information about your home’s size, rebuild value, occupancy and any previous flooding.
Your rebuild value is particularly important. It’s the estimated cost of rebuilding your home, not its market value.
If your details are wrong or your home is underinsured, you could find yourself facing problems when making a claim.
The Financial Ombudsman Service’s guidance on underinsurance explains how having insufficient cover can affect a claim.
Contact your insurer if anything needs updating.
4. Take photos before damage happens
Photographs and receipts can make it easier to show your insurer what you’ve lost or what’s been damaged.
Take a few minutes to photograph valuable belongings, important rooms and areas of your property that could be affected by severe weather.
Keep receipts, valuations and other proof of ownership where possible.
You don’t need to document every item in your home, but having a reasonable record of your belongings and their condition could make a claim much easier.
Store copies somewhere secure and accessible, such as cloud storage, so you can retrieve them even if your home or devices are damaged.
5. Know what to do if you need to claim
Don’t wait until your roof is leaking or your home is flooded to find out how to contact your insurer.
Save your policy number, claims telephone number and emergency assistance details somewhere accessible.
If your property suffers damage, contact your insurer as soon as it’s safe and ask what you should do next.
Take photographs before clearing up where possible, keep receipts for emergency repairs and avoid throwing away damaged belongings until your insurer advises you.
You can also check the Met Office’s latest weather warnings and the government’s flood warnings for England to see whether your area is at risk.
Most importantly, don’t put yourself at risk trying to protect possessions or gather evidence.
What if your insurer refuses to pay?
Even when you have insurance, making a claim isn’t always straightforward.
Your insurer might reject your claim, dispute whether the damage was caused by a storm or offer less than you think the repairs will cost.
If you’re unhappy with the decision, ask your insurer to explain it in writing and identify the relevant policy terms.
You can then make a formal complaint, providing photographs, repair estimates and any other evidence that supports your case. You can also use Resolver to understand your rights, organise your evidence and manage your complaint.
Your insurer generally has up to eight weeks to issue its final response to a complaint. If you’re unhappy with that response, or eight weeks pass without one, you can usually take your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, free of charge. You normally have six months from your insurer’s final response to refer your complaint. You can check the Ombudsman’s complaint time limits for more information.
A few minutes checking your insurance now could make a big difference if severe weather damages your home. Make sure you know what’s covered, what you’d need to pay and how to get help when you need it.
If you have any thoughts on this topic, or any other consumer issues you would like us to cover, feel free to get in touch with us at support@resolver.co.uk