APH News

It has been announced by a major provide of emergency home insurance cover that they are suspending outbound sales calls amidst numerous accusations that their staff are actively mis-selling policies. This is not the first time such a product has hit the headlines as a result of a lot of controversy. Emergency forms of home cover have caused this sort of  outcry before. The reason for it doesn’t necessarily lie in the technique of the sales advisor though, although some of them are very pushy and difficult to get rid of without being rude. Instead, it often actually lies in the fact that people never actually think about emergency cover and then, when they have second thoughts, they feel that they do not need it. In fact, emergency home insurance cover is actually a very useful product .

Emergency home insurance is marketed by a variety of companies, some of whom are insurers and others who are not. For the most part, the cover offers protection in the event that you need a plumber, electrician, boiler expert or any other tradesman out in the event of an emergency. Most guarantee someone out to you within 8 hours at the most.

You should always check your actual home insurance policy to see what you are covered or though before you take out extras like this type of policy because you may already have some sort of cover in place. If that is the case then you will not need an extra emergency home insurance policy at all. However, many policies do not offer emergency access to tradesmen or emergency repairs for either no extra cost or a small excess. If your policy is one of them then you may want to look into getting an emergency form of cover just in case. You never know what is around the corner and with winter now nearly upon us, you have peace of mind that you need not sit in the dark, cold or wet without having someone to call on in a very short period of time.

Life is hectic for many people at the moment with so many events upcoming and winter well and truly on the way. Bonfire Night, dark evenings and fireworks are an excellent combination for those families looking to celebrate in the coming couple of weekends but it is also an excellent combination for another group of people – the burglars. It is a fact that more houses are broken into when the nights draw in and with the clocks going back this weekend, it is no wonder that numerous experts are beginning to write their words of warning. If you do not have home insurance then now is the time to get it, but what do you need to look for either in an existing home insurance policy or a new one?

Well, first things first, you need to make sure that you have the level of the cover you need to cover all of your possessions. If you have £25,000 of stuff, for example, then £10,000 cover is just not going to cut it. You need to add up the cost of all of your possessions and get enough cover to protect them all. You also need to check the type of cover you have. More and more home insurance companies are offering new for old cover, meaning that they will replace your belongings themselves with like for like. You need to check this before taking out cover.

You also need to check to see whether you have buildings insurance if you own your own home. After all, a firework may not go through everyone’s window this Guy Fawkes night but it is worth thinking of every situation and covering them all with your home insurance. You need to make sure that accidents are covered and you can get your home fixed just in case.

Having home insurance is always a good idea for peace of mind these days. Whether you live in a low crime area or a high crime area, it is always worth exploring home insurance policies to ensure that you can replace your belongings should they get stolen whilst you are out. However, most insurance companies actually limit their involvement at protecting your property. The rest is up to you. As long as you have answered those companies’ questions honestly then they will support you from afar. Not so one lesser known home insurer. Instead, this particular company has offered pointers for preventing break ins so that you do not have to claim on your home insurance and they are certainly worth taking notice of whether you are with that insurer or not.

First of all, the insurer makes the point that it is best to use a timer or leave lights on when you are away from home to make sure that it looks like someone is there. If burglars think that someone is home then they are far less likely to try and break in. In addition, it is advised that you should explore the idea of locking doors as soon as it gets dark as well as drawing curtains and keeping valuables out of sight. Finally, be sure to use your burglar alarm and invest in good quality locks. Of course, the questions you answer when taking out home insurance should tell you that!

There is no doubt that burglaries and other related crimes do go up when the clocks go back and the whole country gets a lot darker a lot earlier. It seems to be the opportunity that some criminals look for to make their money. Do not let them. Take all measures to protect yourself and you may never have to make a claim on account of the actions of others!

We all know how unpredictable the weather has been in recent years in all areas of the UK. With storms apparently occurring at all times of the year, flooding being reported irregularly up and down the country and adverse weather conditions being quite prevalent everywhere but in Manchester at the end of last year, it is no wonder that many people are considering how to batten down the hatches this year. How can you protect your home without needing to claim on your home insurance? Well, that largely depends on where you live apparently.

A recent survey found that home insurance claims had actually risen by a huge 68% in relation to storms, with lightening, snow, flooding and falling trees all hitting the top of the list of claims for insurers all over the UK but there are location specific rises that are worth noting. For example, if you live in Yorkshire then you are 143% more likely to have made a claim in relation to a flood than those in any other county, although storm claims from those in  Central Scotland are 117% more probable. Finally, Londoners are 47% more likely to have made a claim as a direct result of a falling tree.

Obviously the regularity and occurrence of such claims may not impact upon you directly but it is worth finding out about these statistics because they will not only potential put home insurance quotes up for your area but you may find that some policies offer insufficient protection for certain incidents. If your home is more likely to be impacted by flooding rather than falling trees then you should make sure that the cover in place is for the former rather than the latter. You can do this through the APH comparison engine. Just fill in your wants and needs and you can see exactly what is available for you.