To help Britons prepare for storms and minimise the impact, Saga’s home insurance expert Anna Thunstrom advises what to do around your home and garden and how to make a claim if you’re affected.
Gather an emergency kit:
Anna says: “Be aware of weather warnings by keeping up to date with the news. You can also sign up sign up to the flood warning service.
“If a storm is expected to hit, it’s advised to prepare an emergency kit to help in the event of a power cut.”
Anna advises to have the following prepared:
- A charged mobile phone and if possible, a portable charger
- Useful phone numbers such as your home insurer and emergency cover provider
- Candles or tealights and a lighter or matches
- Warm clothing or blankets
- Non-perishable food like canned goods that don’t require cooking
She adds that if you’re at risk of a flood, ensure you have the following provisions too:
- Instructions of how to turn off your power supply and gas and water
- Emergency numbers to your utilities companies to inform them if you’re affected
- Enough drinking water available
- A water-proof bag for important documents like passports, or take them upstairs
How to prepare your home for a storm:
Anna says: “Remove or secure any loose or cracked tiles from your roof and check that your satellite dish is secure. Remove any leaves or debris from your gutters to help reduce flooding, and remember, only attempt to go outside before the storm arrives. Receive help from family or a trusted tradesperson if you’re unable to do these yourself.
“Next, shut and lock all your windows and doors inside your home. Park your car inside a garage or somewhere sheltered if you can. If there’s a flood risk, garage doors will need to be secured and made watertight by sealing gaps and using sandbags to help block and absorb moisture.
“If lightning is expected, it’s advised to unplug unnecessary electricals as if it strikes your home this could cause a surge of electricity to run through appliances.
“The most important thing is to stay indoors during the storm and refrain from going outside until it’s over.”
How to prepare your garden for a storm:
Anna says: “Move garden furniture, hanging baskets, bins, light potted plants, and even heavier items like trampolines into a shed, outhouse, or even your home. Ensure fences and gates are stable too as insurers don’t typically cover these for storm damage because they’re such high risk.
“Secure and pin down any winter plant protection and cover a pond with netting to prevent excessive debris falling in so you won’t have to clear it out later. Old bricks could help weigh this down.
“If your roof, shed and property isn’t well maintained, there’s a higher risk of damage, which could lead to a denied claim under the grounds that the damage was due to poor maintenance rather than the storm.”
What do to if you need to make a claim:
Most policies cover storm damage but check with your insurer if you’re unsure to see if there are any particular exclusions or special conditions. If you need to make a claim, Anna says:
“Get in touch with your insurer as soon as possible. Call their claims contact number with your policy number to hand to help speed things up.
“Take pictures of the damage so there’s a clear record of evidence. Don’t touch, throw away or move things, especially in the case of electrical wires. Only throw away things that are hazardous to health.
“If you need emergency work by a tradesperson, insurers may not reimburse these costs unless it’s been pre-approved, so make sure you get in contact first, if possible.
“If you have home emergency cover as an add-on to your home insurance, or as a standalone policy, this is specifically designed for home emergencies such as burst pipes or water coming in through the roof. It’s designed to prevent any further damage in the short term. Home emergency policies typically offer a 24/7 helpline and accelerate the process of sending out tradespeople, covering the immediate costs to make your home secure and habitable. You’ll still need to contact your insurer as they will be the ones covering the costs for any damage caused. Not all home emergency policies cover roof damage as standard though, so check your policy if you’re unsure.
Power outage compensation
Anna says: “You may also be eligible to recoup some money if you’re left without power because of a storm. This wouldn’t be handled by your insurer, but directly with your electricity distributor.
“You’ll get £80 if the power was off for 24 hours for a category 1 storm. If it was a category 2 storm, you’ll get £80 if the power was off for 48 hours.
“For each additional six hours the power is off, you’ll get another £40 up to a maximum of £2,000. You can find out who your distributor is with this finder tool.”