Home emergency insurance cover

Home Emergency Cover is included with eligible Intelligent Insurance home insurance policies at no additional cost. It gives you access to a 24-hour claims helpline and assistance with specified emergencies in your home, subject to the policy terms and claim limits.

For an additional fee, Home Emergency Plus increases the claim limits and adds cover for specified security, access and primary heating-system emergencies.

Note: Your policy schedule confirms whether Home Emergency or Home Emergency Plus is included and the limits that apply to you.

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Home emergency assistance when you need it

Included as standard

Standard Home Emergency Cover is included with eligible home insurance policies at no additional cost.

24-hour claims helpline

Report a potential home emergency at any time using the claims helpline shown in your policy documents or online account.

Optional Plus upgrade

Choose higher claim limits and additional protection for specified heating, security and access emergencies.

Compare Home Emergency and Home Emergency Plus

	Home Emergency	Home Emergency Plus
Claim limit per emergency call-out	£250	£1,000
Total claim limit per policy year	£500	£1,000
24-hour claims helpline
Plumbing and drainage
Internal electricity
Internal gas supply
Water supply
Specified pest infestations
Specified roofing emergencies
Security	Not included
Access to the home	Not included
Overnight accommodation	Not included
Primary heating system	Not included
Alternative heating	Not included	Up to £50
Boiler replacement contribution	Not included	Up to £250

There is no separate fixed limit on the number of claims. Cover is instead subject to the limit for each accepted emergency and the total claim limit per policy year shown above. Your policy schedule confirms the limits that apply to you. All cover is subject to the policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

What does standard Home Emergency Cover include?

Standard cover provides emergency assistance for the following six categories, subject to their policy definitions.

Plumbing and drainage

Emergency repairs following certain failures where internal flooding or water damage is likely, you have no usable toilet, or an external drain within the home’s boundary is blocked and can be cleared by jetting or rodding.

Internal electricity

Emergency repairs following the failure of at least one complete circuit where carefully resetting the fuse box does not resolve the problem and the regional network supplier is not responsible.

Internal gas supply

Repair of a damaged section of internal gas supply pipe after the National Gas Emergency Service has attended and isolated the supply.

Water supply

Emergency repairs following a complete loss of water to the kitchen or bathroom where no other water supply is available for bathing.

Specified pests

Assistance where there is clear evidence of an infestation involving wasps’ nests, hornets’ nests, mice, rats or cockroaches in or attached to the home.

Specified roofing emergencies

A temporary repair following missing, broken or loose tiles causing internal water damage. A contractor will attend when it is safe to do so.

Not included with standard cover

Standard cover does not include boiler or primary heating-system breakdown, security emergencies, access to the home or overnight accommodation. These benefits are available under Home Emergency Plus, subject to its terms.

What does Home Emergency Plus add?

Home Emergency Plus includes all six Standard categories, increases the claim limits and adds the following areas of cover.

Security and access

Emergency repairs where damage or failure to an external lock, window or door leaves the main living area insecure and easily accessible. Plus can also help you regain access after losing the only available key where it cannot be replaced and normal access is not possible.

Primary heating system

Emergency repairs following a complete breakdown of the primary heating system that results in a complete loss of heating and/or hot water.

Alternative heating

Up to £50 towards an alternative heating source where it is considered necessary following an accepted primary heating-system claim and the system has not been restored.

Boiler replacement contribution

Up to £250 towards a new like-for-like boiler where the insurer or authorised contractor declares it uneconomical to repair following an accepted primary heating-system claim. This is a contribution, not full boiler-replacement cover.

Overnight accommodation

Overnight accommodation may be covered where an accepted emergency cannot be resolved and the claims helpline considers the home uninhabitable. Food, drink, parking, travel and entertainment are not covered.

Important boiler eligibility

Boilers over 15 years old are not covered.
Boilers with a net input above 238,000 BTU (70 kW) are not covered.
Renewable heating systems and non-domestic heating systems are excluded.
The system must have been installed and maintained in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.

You may be asked for servicing or maintenance evidence.

How home emergency assistance works

Contact the claims helpline

Use the current 24-hour claims helpline shown in your policy documents, schedule or online account. Contact the helpline before arranging a contractor yourself.

Explain the emergency

The claims team will assess the circumstances against the cover shown in your schedule and the policy terms.

An authorised contractor may be arranged

If the claim is accepted and an emergency repair is available, the claims service will appoint an authorised contractor, subject to access, weather, parts and contractor availability.

Emergency repairs are normally temporary

The policy defines a temporary repair or resolution as one expected to address the emergency for at least 72 hours.

A permanent repair will only be completed where it can be done at a similar cost, or where no temporary repair is available, and always within the applicable claim limit. You remain responsible for arranging any required permanent work afterwards.

Home Emergency Cover and home insurance do different jobs

Home Emergency Cover addresses the immediate cause of an eligible emergency. Buildings or contents insurance may cover resulting damage where the relevant policy terms are met.

For example, Home Emergency Cover may arrange an authorised contractor to deal with an eligible burst pipe. A separate buildings or contents claim may be needed for water damage caused by that pipe.

Learn more about the difference between Home Emergency Cover and home insurance.

Important eligibility, waiting periods and exclusions

Home Emergency and Home Emergency Plus are available for an owner-occupied property used as your principal permanent home. They are not available to landlords for tenanted properties.

Claims arising within the first 48 hours after this insurance starts are excluded unless you held equivalent insurance immediately beforehand.

Claims for the boiler replacement contribution arising within the first 30 days are excluded unless you held equivalent insurance immediately beforehand.

Claims during the seven days immediately following first occupation are excluded. The same restriction applies after reoccupying a home that has been unoccupied for 30 consecutive days or more.

You must keep your home and its equipment in good order. General wear and tear, neglect and systems not properly installed or maintained are excluded.

Other exclusions include:

circumstances you knew about before the insurance began
appliance breakdowns
systems that have been incorrectly used, modified or tampered with
work covered by a manufacturer’s, supplier’s or installer’s guarantee or warranty
resulting damage or other costs unless the policy specifically includes them
work arranged directly with a contractor without first contacting the claims helpline

This page summarises the cover and does not include every term or exclusion. Read your policy wording, Insurance Product Information Document and schedule before deciding whether the cover is suitable for you.

Is Home Emergency Plus suitable for you?

Plus may be worth considering if you want higher claim limits and assistance with specified heating, security and access emergencies.

Before adding it, consider:

whether your boiler meets the age, output and maintenance requirements
whether a boiler warranty, service plan or another policy already provides similar protection
whether the claim limits shown in your schedule meet your needs
whether you could comfortably pay for an emergency repair yourself

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Home Emergency product information

If you’re currently insured with us, you’ll find the documents for your policy in MyAccount.

Home Emergency IPID

Home Emergency Plus IPID

See how much Home Emergency Plus costs and how to add it.

Need to report a home emergency?

Confirm your cover

Check your schedule to see whether Home Emergency or Home Emergency Plus applies.

You can find your schedule and current claims details in MyAccount.

Call before arranging work

Contact the claims helpline before appointing a contractor. Work you arrange yourself will not be covered.

Immediate danger?

For a gas leak, contact the National Gas Emergency Service first.

If anyone is in danger or serious property damage is likely, contact the appropriate emergency service or utility supplier.

*We may not be able to quote in all circumstances. Cover limits/restrictions and/or conditions may apply to the policy. These are clearly detailed prior to purchase, and in the policy documentation for you to determine if the cover is suitable for your needs.

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