Frequently asked questions
Can I protect my household NCB?
No.
Do you offer a new for old cover on household policies and how much does this cost?
Yes, all household policies include new for old cover as standard at no extra cost.
Do I need home insurance?
Whilst home insurance is not compulsory, if you have a mortgage then your lender
may insist on you securing buildings cover as a condition of the loan. This is simply
to ensure that if an event occurs that results in the home being destroyed or severely
damaged the rebuilding costs will be met, thus safeguarding their investment. The
means to find the money to replace everything following a loss involving buildings
or contents (or both) would be a huge worry if you did not have insurance. Insurance
provides you with security and peace of mind.
What exactly needs to be covered?
In respect of buildings cover you need to consider the home in its entirety. That
is, the home itself, including permanent fixtures and fittings, any outbuildings,
garages, drives, patios, paths, fences and gates. Cover should also extend to permanent
swimming pools, tennis courts, and fixed fuel tanks, underground service pipes and
cables for which you are legally responsible. Consideration must also be given to
the cost of removal of debris, and professional fees. Contents comprise everything
that you could take with you if you were to move home. Go through every room making
an inventory of contents including items in cupboards and wardrobes. Note also items
in the loft, the garage, the shed and the garden. Any satellite dishes or aerials
are considered to be an extension of the television and are therefore covered under
your contents policy.
How do I calculate how much cover I need?
The market value of a home is dependent on many factors, including locality, local
amenities, size of plot, etc, and therefore bears no relation to the actual rebuilding
costs. You may find your home's rebuilding costs in any valuation report or
survey that was carried out when you took out your mortgage. If you do not have
a survey report, you may wish to instruct a surveyor to carry out a survey for you.
The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors will advise you of members in your area.
The Association of British Insurers also offers useful advice and information on-line,
together with a guide to calculate rebuilding costs. For contents cover you should
calculate what it would cost to replace all your items at today's prices. If
you already have insurance in place, please refer to your renewal documents or schedule
of insurance for your existing levels of cover.
Do I need to take into account inflation?
Although you must keep the sums insured at a level that represents their full value,
we will increase them each month in line with the House Rebuilding Cost Index for
buildings, and the General Index of Retail Prices for contents, or as instructed
by your insurer. For your protection, should the index fall below zero, we will
not reduce the sums insured. At renewal we will calculate the premium using the
new sums insured.
What type of policies do you offer?
We offer comprehensive cover for your buildings, contents and also for personal
possessions taken away from the home. An accidental damage extension can be added
to the buildings and contents sections. We also offer two very valuable optional
extras: Legal Protection and Home Emergency Service. See our optional extras page
for further details.
Can I go on cover straight away?
Cover can start immediately, once payment is accepted and authorized.
Are my personal items covered when I take them away from home?
Only if you take out personal possessions cover. This extension provides worldwide
cover for all your personal possessions, cameras, mobile telephones, pedal cycles,
money and credit cards (subject to limits - see policy wordings).
If I have worldwide cover for my personal possessions, does this mean that I do
not need Travel Insurance?
Although your baggage will be covered, travel insurance will cover you for additional
events and occurrences such as; medical emergencies, travel delays or cancellations.
We offer competitive travel insurance, contact us on 0800 072 7888
Are my children's belongings covered whilst staying at university?
Your children's belongings are covered on the premises of a university, and
within dwellings in which they are temporarily living, whilst attending a university
- provided that the contents sum insured is adequate. See the 'contents
temporarily removed' section in the policy wordings for details.
What cover is provided for my PC?
Full cover for your personal computer is provided under the contents policy (including
free accidental damage cover), as long as the computer is for personal use only.
To obtain cover for your portable computer - away from the home - you will
need to take out personal possessions cover. Please see policy wordings for details
of limits.
Am I covered if I work from home?
Your contents policy will usually provide cover for office equipment used for occasional
clerical work only (where no clients visit the home). However, we do not provide
cover for business use on-line. Please contact us on 0800 028 5635 if you require
cover for business use.
Are the contents of my shed and/or garage covered?
Yes, but accidental damage cover is excluded on contents within outbuildings, and
theft cover is subject to limits - see policy wordings.
Is cover provided for items in my garden?
Yes, cover is usually provided for contents in the open - see policy wordings
for limits.
Can I get insurance for my house that I rent out to tenants?
We currently do not offer a quote on-line for let, sub-let or leased properties.
Please call us on 0800 028 5635 for a quote.
If friends come to stay for the weekend, are their belongings covered?
No, you cannot insure any items that you do not own or have legal responsibility
for. Their own insurance should provide cover for their belongings.
My son's school has lent him a musical instrument, is this covered?
Only if you have signed an agreement accepting legal responsibility for it -
otherwise the school has to insure it. If you are to insure it and your son takes
it out of the home you will need personal possessions cover.
Can I opt to pay a voluntary excess?
Yes, the premium is discounted for customers who opt to pay a voluntary excess in
addition to the standard excess.
How do I know which door locks are fitted to my door?
Open the door and check the metal plate on the edge, it will usually be engraved
with the name and type of lock, and if applicable, the British Standard kite mark.
See our door security for further advice.
What if I don't see what I want?
If you don't see what you want on our website, please call us on 0800 840 8394
to discuss your individual requirements.
Is Payment Protection cover included?
Payment protection is no longer available
How will my NCB affected in the event of a claim on my household policy?
This will automatically be stepped back to 0 in the event of a claim
How do I claim for HomeCALL?
To make a claim for HomeCALL Legal Protection, simply call 0800 681 1893 to speak
to one of our advisors.
Who do I call in an emergency?
In an emergency, please call our Domestic Emergency Hotline on 08709 085 200.
How do I make a claim?
If you need to report a claim on your policy, simply call our Claims Department
on 0845 075 6656. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to provide
help and advice as you need it.
If you have a domestic emergency, we suggest you contact our Domestic Emergency
Helpline on 08709 085 200.
Is it safe to input my credit card details on-line?
Yes, we use the latest in encryption technology through SSL (Secure Socket Layer)
which guarantees that any personal information or credit card details that you have
input on our website is protected. On-line purchase could not be made safer.
If, however, you do not feel comfortable with entering your card details on-line,
please call us on 0800 840 8394 and we will take these details over the telephone.
Can I change my instalment repayment dates?
This is possible, but not currently available on-line. You would need to contact
our Customer Services department on 0845 677 0097, who will advise which preferred
dates are available.
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