Home emergency
Providing peace of mind should the unexpected happen
What is an emergency?
Aside from landlord insurance policies, or policies where the property is unoccupied or the policyholder is the executor of the estate, every home policy provided by One Call Insurance comes with a basic level of home emergency cover.
Make a home emergency claim
Included as standard:
- Burst and blocked pipes
- Damage to locks, entrance ways, bricks and windows where immediate repairs are necessary to prevent further deterioration or to ensure safety and security
- Fire, burglary and attempted burglary where immediate repairs are necessary to prevent further deterioration or to ensure safety and security
- Storm damage and removal of wasps & hornets nests.
How you can help
In the unfortunate event you encounter an emergency in your home, we’ll do our absolute best to provide support and help you with your claim. However, there are steps you can take to help minimise risk, prevent further damage and protect what matters most to you.
Broken Pipes Broken pipes
If your property has a broken/burst pipe, the first thing you should do is turn off the water supply at the stop tap and then switch off your boiler. Continuing this, open all the taps in the house to drain the system and soak up any excess water with towels to limit the damage. Then, please report it to us as soon as you’re able.
House securityHouse security
In the unfortunate situation where your home is broken into and the safety and security of your house has been compromised, you should first contact the police and report the incident. Also, it’s best to create a list of any missing items for future reference. After you’ve been able to complete the above, please contact us as soon as you’re able.
Wasp nestWasps & hornets nests
In the rare circumstance you find a wasp nest in your home, you should leave it alone. The best advice is to report it and wait for professionals as if you try to handle this yourself you could injure yourself badly. Do not use fire, or water or attempt to knock it down as these will only aggravate the wasps and could potentially damage your home.
Broken boilerBroken boiler
On rare occasions, broken boilers can cause serious hazards such as fires or even illness. It’s smart to know the signs of danger which may include the smell of gas, signs of scorching or black spillage marks. Before you assume a boiler is broken, check the supply towards it such as gas, water and electricity by testing other appliances in your home.
LeakLeak
If there’s a leak in your home there are a number of steps you can take to help prevent further damage. First, switch off the water using the stop tap which is usually found in the kitchen or bathroom. Try identifying the source if possible as this will help down the line. Finally, remove any excess water and dry out any affected areas to prevent mould.
For those that need a little more from their home emergency cover, your policy can upgrade to a Premium or Executive level of cover. These upgrades also cover you for emergencies arising out of damage to guttering and soffits and covers you to stay in a hotel should you need to leave your home temporarily due to a claim. Our Executive cover goes even further to provide the removal of rats/mice as well as cover for your boiler and heating. To see what else may be covered by your level of home emergency cover provided by One Call Insurance please visit our policy documents page.
It’s important to remember that home emergency cover does not cover extensive repairs or permanent fixes – you’ll still have to claim on your home insurance for that. What’s more, cover levels vary and some exclusions may apply. Depending on the emergency and how it occurred, permanent repairs are usually provided by your home insurance policy.
Glossary
Although we’ve made every effort to make our website clear and simple to understand, we recognise some terms may need further explanation. Our glossary has been set up to provide you with a better understanding of any terminology you may come across during the claims process.