Winter home emergencies: how to prepare and what your cover includes

There's never a good time for something to go wrong at home, but winter has a habit of finding the worst moments. It's when our homes work hardest. The heating runs for hours, pipes are close to freezing, and the gutters and drains deal with months of rain and leaves. It's also when engineers are busiest, so a job that’s quick to fix in summer can mean a few cold days.

The good news is that plenty of winter home emergencies can be headed off with a bit of preparation, and the rest are much easier to deal with if you know what to do. In this guide, we'll walk you through both and explain where home emergency cover fits in.

In this blog

1. How can you get your home ready for winter?
2. What should you do if a winter home emergency happens?
3. How can home emergency and boiler cover help?
4. Are you ready for winter?
5. Frequently asked questions

How can you get your home ready for winter?

Most winter callouts start small: a boiler that's overdue for a service, a dripping pipe, a gutter full of leaves. Catch them in October, and you'll save yourself a lot of hassle when the temperature really drops.

• Book a boiler service. An engineer can spot a worn part or a small leak before it turns into a breakdown, and it’s far easier to deal with now than in January. Here's why annual servicing could save you hundreds.
• Find your stopcock. It's usually under the kitchen sink. Check that it turns freely too, as it can seize up if it's never used.
• Insulate pipes in the loft and garage. Unheated spaces are where pipes freeze first, and foam lagging from a DIY shop costs very little. Our guide to preventing frozen pipes has more tips.
• Clear the gutters. Blocked gutters mean blocked drains, and water overflowing onto the walls can find its way inside.
• Seal small gaps. A mouse only needs a hole the size of a pencil. Check around pipes, air bricks and the bottoms of doors.
• Leave a spare key with someone you trust. Being locked out is a lot less fun on a dark, wet evening.

What should you do if a winter home emergency happens?

Even the best-prepared home can have a bad day. When it does, the first few minutes matter most. Acting quickly can limit the damage and make repair quicker and simpler.

• Burst pipe: turn off the stopcock, switch off the boiler, and open the cold taps to drain what's left in the pipes. Stay clear of any wet electrics.
• No heating or hot water: check the pressure gauge and the thermostat first, as it's often something simple. In a cold snap, the condensate pipe outside may have frozen, and pouring warm water over it (never boiling) can get things going again.
• Tripping electrics: unplug everything on that circuit and reset the switch. If it trips again with nothing plugged in, the fault is likely in the wiring, so leave it off and call us.
• Smell of gas: get everyone out, don't touch any switches, and call the National Gas Emergency Service on 0800 111 999. Any engineer working on gas should be on the Gas Safe Register.

Whatever's happened, take a few photos before you tidy up, and speak to us before booking a repair yourself, as that can affect your claim. Our claims line is open 24 hours on 0345 030 5925.

How can home emergency and boiler cover help?

Preparation lowers the odds, but it won't stop a pipe bursting at 2 am or the boiler giving up on the coldest night of the year. That's what cover is for. With home emergency cover, plus boiler cover added, you won't struggle to find an engineer who’s free this week. You call us, and we'll arrange an engineer to fix it.

What does home emergency cover include?

Our home emergency insurance covers a range of sudden problems around the home, from burst pipes and blocked drains to electrical faults, lost keys and pest infestations. Boiler breakdown cover isn't included as standard, but you can add it to your policy. What's included depends on the cover you choose.

What counts as a home emergency?

Anything sudden and unexpected that, if it isn't dealt with straight away, would leave your home unsafe or insecure, cause further damage, or leave you without water in the kitchen or bathroom. So a pipe that bursts overnight is usually covered, while a tap that's been dripping since August is more likely to count as wear and tear since the problem built up gradually rather than appearing without warning. Frozen pipes work the same way. A pipe that freezes and bursts in a cold snap is exactly what emergency cover is for, but one that's been leaking slowly for months may not be.

What isn't covered?

Home emergency cover is there for the unexpected, so it generally doesn't include wear and tear, faults that existed before your policy started, damage caused by a lack of maintenance, or general upkeep such as routine roof maintenance. Emergencies in the first 14 days of your policy, and homes left empty for 30 days or more, aren't covered either. If the power goes off across your whole street, it's best to contact your energy supplier. Keeping on top of the jobs above can help you avoid many of these problems in the first place.

Do you need to add boiler cover?

If you rely on your boiler for heating and hot water, it's well worth considering. Boilers aren't included in standard home emergency cover, and they work hardest in winter. If yours stops, you could be without heating and hot water on the coldest days of the year. With boiler cover, if you lose all heating or hot water, we'll send an approved engineer. We can cover boilers of any make and model up to 15 years old. You can add boiler cover to your policy or take it out on its own, and you can add an annual service to help keep it running well.

Are you ready for winter?

Most winter home emergencies come down to the same few things: water, power, security and the boiler. A service, clear gutters, and knowing where your stopcock is can prevent a lot of them. For everything else, it helps to know someone's on the other end of the phone.

If you'd like that peace of mind before the cold sets in, you can get a quote for home emergency cover online in a few minutes, and add boiler cover to your policy while you're there.

Frequently asked questions

Does my home insurance cover home emergencies?

Most home and contents insurance policies don't cover emergencies like these. Home emergency cover is designed to sit alongside your existing home insurance and get help to you when something fails suddenly.

How many times can I claim?

Whether you have home emergency cover on its own or with boiler cover added, you can claim up to three times a year. Each claim is covered up to £2,500, with a yearly limit of £5,000, including VAT. That covers callouts, parts and labour. On a monthly policy, the £5,000 limit applies over any rolling 12 months.

Is there an excess to pay?

That depends on what you choose when you set up your policy. You can choose a £95 excess, a £60 excess, or the no-excess option. If you choose no excess, a £60 excess still applies to claims made in the first 90 days.

What happens if my boiler can't be repaired?

If you've added boiler cover to your policy and your boiler is beyond economical repair, we'll put money towards a replacement: £500 if it's under six years old, or £250 if it's older. This doesn't apply in the first 30 days of your policy.

What happens if my home becomes uninhabitable?

If an emergency leaves your home uninhabitable, we'll contribute up to £250 towards the cost of overnight accommodation.