What Does Home Emergency Cover? A Guide to What’s Included

A burst pipe, a boiler that won't fire up or a sudden loss of power can turn an ordinary day into a stressful one.Home emergency coveris designed to get an approved engineer to you when something like this happens, and to pay for the repair up to your policy's limits. But what does it actually cover, and what does it leave out? This guide goes through it area by area, so you know what to expect before you need it.

How Home Emergency Cover Works

When an emergency happens, you call a 24/7 helpline. If the problem is covered, an approved engineer is sent to make your home safe and carry out a repair, up to the claim limit on your plan. The aim is to fix the cause of the emergency quickly, not to upgrade or replace systems that are simply old.

Emergencies don't keep office hours. Boilers fail overnight and pipes burst on bank holidays, so a helpline you can call at any time, all year round, is one of the most useful parts of the cover. Engineer visits are arranged as soon as possible, but response times depend on availability.

What Counts as a Home Emergency?

Not every household problem counts as an emergency. In general, a problem is an emergency when it is sudden and unexpected, and it:

• leaves you without an essential service, such as heating, hot water, water or electricity
• makes your home unsafe, for example an uncontrollable leak or dangerous wiring
• leaves your home insecure, for example a broken external lock or lost keys
• can't reasonably wait for a routine appointment

For example, no heating in winter, a leak you can't stop, a blocked toilet when it's the only one in the house, or an electrical fault that makes the property unsafe would usually be treated as emergencies. A slowly dripping tap, a noisy pump on a boiler that still works, or a problem that has been building for months usually would not.

What Does Home Emergency Cover Include?

Here's what each area of cover usually includes and excludes. Exact terms depend on your plan, so always check your policy documents.

Boiler breakdown

Usually covered: a sudden breakdown of your gas boiler that leaves you without heating. An engineer will try to repair it. If it can't be repaired economically, homeowner plans contribute towards a replacement when the boiler is under 7 years old. See Boiler Breakdown Cover.

Usually not covered:any boiler that doesn't run on mains gas, such as LPG, oil and electric boilers, range cookers such as AGA or Rayburn, boilers with an output over 60kW, breakdowns that only affect your hot water, and breakdowns where the boiler hasn't been serviced in the previous 12 months.

Don't be tempted to fix a boiler yourself. Only a Gas Safe registered engineer should work on a gas boiler, and a DIY repair could make the problem worse or affect your claim.

Central heating

Usually covered: a sudden failure of your heating system, such as a leaking radiator or a fault in the pipework that stops your heating from working. See Central Heating Cover.

Usually not covered:designer or bespoke radiators and towel rails, removing sludge or scale, and general maintenance such as power flushing.

Gas supply pipe

Usually covered:repairs to the gas supply pipe inside your home after an emergency.

Usually not covered: the leak itself as a first response. If you smell gas,leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. They make the supply safe first, and the repair can follow.

Plumbing

Usually covered:burst or leaking internal pipes and uncontrollable leaks that could damage your home.

Usually not covered:leaks that don't cause damage to the property, dripping taps and other wear and tear, leaks from baths and showers caused by worn seals, and replacing old lead, steel or iron pipework.

Drainage

Usually covered: a sudden blockage of the drains serving your home, such as a blocked toilet or drain causing an overflow, within your property boundary. See Plumbing & Drainage Cover.

Usually not covered:shared drains or problems that start outside your property boundary, pipes blocked by freezing weather, and blockages caused by a build-up over time, such as fats and grease.

External water supply pipe

Usually covered:a blockage, collapse or leak in the pipe that brings water from the boundary of your property into your home.

Usually not covered:pipes that belong to the water company outside your boundary.

Electrics

Usually covered: a total failure of your home's internal electrical supply that leaves you without power, or a fault that makes it unsafe. See Electrical Breakdown Cover.

Usually not covered:power cuts or failures of the mains supply, faults in your appliances, and bringing old wiring up to current standards.

Pests

Usually covered: removing black or brown rats, field or house mice, wasps' nests and hornets' nests inside your home. See Pest Infestation Cover.

Usually not covered:ants, bees, fleas, bedbugs, spiders, cockroaches, bats and protected species.

Security and lost keys

Usually covered: help when lost keys or a damaged external lock, door or window leaves your home insecure or you can't get in. See Lost Keys Cover.

Usually not covered:locks or doors that have simply worn out over time.

Which Smart Cover Plan Includes What?

Each plan builds on the one before it, and every plan is available at Essential or Premium level, with a different claim limit.

If you only need plumbing, drainage or electrical cover, Smart Cover also offersPlumbing & Drainage plans, which have their own per-claim and yearly limits. Landlords can choose the same plans as landlord home emergency cover.

Extra Benefits to Look For

• Unlimited claims: Smart Cover's boiler, heating and home plans don't limit how many times you can claim in a year. Each claim is covered up to £500 on Essential or £1,000 on Premium, including call-out, labour, parts and VAT.
• Alternative accommodation: up to £200 towards somewhere to stay if a covered emergency leaves your home uninhabitable for more than 48 hours.
• Alternative heating: on homeowner policies, a fixed payment towards temporary heating if parts for your repair take more than 60 hours to arrive.
• Boiler replacement contribution: on homeowner policies, if your boiler is under 7 years old and can't be repaired economically.
• A choice of excess: you can pick the excess that suits your budget.
• 24/7 Emergency Helpline: so you can report an emergency at any time.

Optional Boiler Service

Regular servicing helps prevent breakdowns, and your boiler must have been serviced in the last 12 months for a boiler breakdown claim to be valid. Smart Cover offers aboiler serviceas a separate, non-insurance feature. It's a service and flue gas check only, with no repairs, and it needs to be booked in advance.

What Isn't Covered by Any Plan?

Some exclusions apply whichever area or plan you choose:

• general maintenance, servicing and wear and tear
• faults that existed or were known about before your policy started
• emergencies during the 14-day waiting period after your policy starts
• problems that keep coming back, and call-outs where no fault is found
• failure of the mains gas, water or electricity supply to your home
• roofing and roof-related emergencies
• a home left unoccupied for 30 days or more
• problems caused by poor installation, DIY or neglect
• repairs arranged without calling the helpline first
• homes outside mainland England, Wales and Scotland

Home Emergency Cover vs Home Insurance

Home emergency cover and home insurance do different jobs, and many households have both.

Some home insurers offer emergency cover as an optional add-on. A standalone policy, like Smart Cover's, lets you choose the level of cover separately, and claims on it are kept separate from your home insurance.

Who Is Home Emergency Cover For?

Home emergency cover can suit:

• Homeowners who would struggle to pay an emergency repair bill at short notice
• Families who rely on heating, hot water and electricity every day, especially with young children or older relatives at home
• People in older homes, where boilers, pipework and wiring are more likely to fail
• Landlords, who must keep rented homes safe and working. See landlord home emergency cover.

It may be less useful if you have savings set aside for emergency repairs, your boiler is new and still under the manufacturer's warranty, or you rent and your landlord is responsible for repairs.

How to Make a Claim

1. Make it safe. Turn off the water at your stop tap if there's a leak, or the electricity at your consumer unit if water is near electrics.
2. If you smell gas, leave the property and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999 first.
3. Check it isn't a supply problem. If your neighbours have lost power too, it's probably a power cut, so call 105.
4. Call the 24/7 Emergency Helpline on 03333 449 247 within 24 hours. Have your policy number and a short description of the problem ready. For other claims questions, call 03333 449 559.
5. An engineer is arranged. An approved engineer attends as soon as possible to make your home safe and carry out the repair.

Don't book your own tradesperson before calling, as repairs arranged without approval may not be covered. A 14-day waiting period applies when your policy starts, and emergency help during that time is available on a pay-on-use basis. You can also visit ourmake a claimpage.

What to Check Before You Buy

Policies vary a lot, so use this checklist when comparing:

• Your boiler: is it a gas boiler, and has it been serviced in the last 12 months? Smart Cover's plans only cover gas boilers, and some other policies exclude oil and LPG boilers too.
• The areas you need: boiler only, or plumbing, drainage, electrics, pests and keys too?
• Which pests: some policies only cover rodents, wasps and hornets.
• The claim limit: how much the policy pays per emergency, and whether there's a yearly limit.
• The excess: whether you pay one, and whether you can choose it. A higher excess usually means a lower premium.
• Alternative accommodation: how much it pays and when it applies.
• Outbuildings: whether garages and sheds are covered or only the main home.
• The waiting period: how long before you can claim.
• The helpline: whether you can report an emergency 24/7.

How Much Does Home Emergency Cover Cost?

The price depends on the plan you choose, whether you pick Essential or Premium, the excess you select, and whether you pay monthly, quarterly or annually. For current prices, see the plans on ourHome Emergency Coverpage.

Final Word

Knowing exactly what your home emergency cover includes, and what it doesn't, makes it much easier to choose the right plan and avoid surprises when you need to claim. Compare the plans on ourHome Emergency Coverpage to find the level of cover that suits your home.

Disclaimer

This blog is for information only and should not be taken as advice. Cover is subject to eligibility, exclusions and claim limits. Please read the full policy terms and conditions before purchasing. Smart-Cover is a trading name of Smart-Cover Direct Limited (FRN 600428), which is an Appointed Representative of City and Commercial Limited (FRN 314346), who is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.