Home emergency cover

Home emergency cover is a type of insurance covering the costs due to a sudden unexpected event that requires immediate action, to prevent further damage or to make your home habitable. For example, a complete breakdown of your heating system, or losing the only set of keys to your home.

Urban Jungle Home Insurance policies can include home emergency insurance cover. If you’re a homeowner, simply add it to your policy, whether you need Buildings Insurance, Contents Insurance, or Buildings and Contents Insurance.

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Home emergency cover

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What’s home emergency cover?

Home emergency cover is one of those terms you might stumble across when buying home insurance, but what actually is home emergency cover on home insurance?

The home emergency insurance will usually include the call out contractors' costs, charges, parts and materials used in the Home Emergency. The contractors are there to work quickly to stop more damage to your home.

Home emergency cover is often an added extra to different home insurance policies so if you want the cover, make sure you add it on within the quote process.

Home emergency cover usually means you'll have to use the insurance provider's chosen contractor. For example, if you were to have a Home Emergency you would most likely need to contact your insurance provider, not call out your own contractors and claim back the cost.

Most insurers who offer home emergency will have an emergency phone number that you can access 24 hours a day, 365 days per year.

Wondering what other things home insurance covers? Get the low-down on Buildings Insurance, Contents Insurance, and Buildings & Contents Insurance on our website.

What does home emergency cover in the UK?

Home emergency cover on buildings insurance is cover for unexpected events that need immediate action to prevent further damage to your home or make it possible for you to stay there.

Home emergency cover will usually include the following:

Boiler and central heating - this will usually be for a total failure or complete breakdown not caused by accidental damage. Most insurers will usually have an age limit for the boiler for cover to apply. For example, the boiler must not be over 15 years old. Or that your boiler needs to be serviced each year.
Plumbing & Drainage - this would cover issues such as a burst pipe or blocked drain.
Home Security - damage to the failure of the external doors, windows or locks which compromises the security of your home.
Toilet Unit - breakage or mechanical damage resulting in the toilet not working provided that there is no other toilet in your home.
Domestic Power Supply - this covers the cost of repairing main electrical failures.
Lost Keys - if you cannot replace them to gain access to your home.
Vermin Infestation - Usually mice, rats or wasp nests. Any infestations that need specialist removal, like bees or moths, are usually excluded.
Alternative Accommodation Costs - if your home is unsafe to stay in, the insurer will provide the cost to cover short-term alternative accommodation until it is safe.

Boiler and central heating - this will usually be for a total failure or complete breakdown not caused by accidental damage. Most insurers will usually have an age limit for the boiler for cover to apply. For example, the boiler must not be over 15 years old. Or that your boiler needs to be serviced each year.
Plumbing & Drainage - this would cover issues such as a burst pipe or blocked drain.
Home Security - damage to the failure of the external doors, windows or locks which compromises the security of your home.
Toilet Unit - breakage or mechanical damage resulting in the toilet not working provided that there is no other toilet in your home.
Domestic Power Supply - this covers the cost of repairing main electrical failures.
Lost Keys - if you cannot replace them to gain access to your home.
Vermin Infestation - Usually mice, rats or wasp nests. Any infestations that need specialist removal, like bees or moths, are usually excluded.
Alternative Accommodation Costs - if your home is unsafe to stay in, the insurer will provide the cost to cover short-term alternative accommodation until it is safe.

Urban Jungle policies with Home Emergency add-on cover up to £1,000 for each. Head here to learn more about Buildings and Contents Insurance.

If you’re a renter or tenant you don’t need to purchase Home Emergency cover as it is your landlord’s responsibility. Your landlord will often have Home Emergency cover as part of their home insurance policy. Head here to learn more about Contents Insurance for renters and Tenants Liability cover here.

Boiler and home emergency cover - As home emergency insurance covers emergency-only situations, if you’re looking for boiler cover for non-emergencies, you’ll want to consider getting an insurance policy that covers your boiler separately.

Find out more information on boilers in home emergency cover here.

What is not covered on home emergency insurance?

All insurance has restrictions on what is covered and what’s not. When buying insurance you should familiarise yourself with the insurance policy document to make sure you understand it exactly.

Poor maintenance and wear and tear - you’ll need to keep your home in a good state of repair. If not, the home emergency could be considered a result of neglect.
Outbuildings - buildings outside your home are unlikely to be covered.
Unoccupied home - most insurers will have certain restrictions on how long your home can be unoccupied consecutively. This will vary depending on the insurer but is usually around 30 days.
Costs that have been incurred before the claim has been accepted by the insurer - when making a Home Emergency claim, you must first call your insurer. No claims will be accepted if you arrange your own contractor and try to claim the cost afterwards.

Poor maintenance and wear and tear - you’ll need to keep your home in a good state of repair. If not, the home emergency could be considered a result of neglect.
Outbuildings - buildings outside your home are unlikely to be covered.
Unoccupied home - most insurers will have certain restrictions on how long your home can be unoccupied consecutively. This will vary depending on the insurer but is usually around 30 days.
Costs that have been incurred before the claim has been accepted by the insurer - when making a Home Emergency claim, you must first call your insurer. No claims will be accepted if you arrange your own contractor and try to claim the cost afterwards.

It also won’t cover any non-emergency-related costs, like the cost of work done to prevent future issues, or cover the repair damage caused by the emergency. For example, if your window is smashed, home emergency contractors might come to board up the window, but they won't replace the window for you.

Urban Jungle Home Emergency add-on doesn’t cover roof damage, but roof damage can be covered under other parts of your policy.

Knowing all the details about what is and isn’t covered when buying a home insurance policy is a great idea. You can read more about Urban Jungle policies and what they cover here. And see our example Buildings Insurance policy document, Contents Insurance policy document, and Buildings and Contents Insurance policy document here.

Do I need Home Emergency cover on home insurance?

You might be wondering, should I get home emergency cover? And, is home emergency cover worth it?

While you may need to buy Buildings insurance in order to get your mortgage, Home Emergency is not ‘compulsory’ to buy in the UK. Ultimately, like with a lot of insurance, it’s up to you whether you think it’s worth it, by balancing the extra premium cost, with the potential unexpected, expensive emergency repair costs.

A home insurance policy with home emergency cover might suit you…

If you’re a homeowner - home emergency cover could be right if you’d find it reassuring knowing emergencies would be dealt with fast, without dipping into your savings pot.

If you’re a landlord - you might want home emergency cover so that someone’s on hand to deal with emergencies quickly, especially if you might not be near the property to help assess the damage yourself. Read on to learn more about landlord emergency home cover.

How should I get home emergency?

Home emergency cover as part of your home insurance.

Home emergency is usually an added extra on your policy and is rarely included as standard.

It also might work out cheaper if you include it all under one policy. For Urban Jungle’s Buildings only and Buildings & Contents policy, you can add Home Emergency cover.

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Unlike some other insurance providers, we don’t charge interest if you pay monthly.

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Design your Home Insurance policy to suit you. Add the coverage you need, take off what you don’t and make changes whenever you need online for free.

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Create a policy to suit your needs, like adding Home Emergency Cover. Never pay for cover you don’t need.

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Home emergency cover for landlords

Landlord's home emergency cover can help to make sure that your home remains safe for your tenants in the event of an emergency, 24/7, every day of the year.

Typically landlord insurance doesn’t come with home emergency cover included as standard. Urban Jungle's Landlord Insurance offers a Home Emergency cover add-on, that can simply be added to your policy when buying.

More resources

What is building and contents insurance?

Does home insurance cover boilers?

Landlord insurance vs homeowners insurance?

What is building and contents insurance?

Does home insurance cover boilers?

Landlord insurance vs homeowners insurance?

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Urban Jungle’s Home Emergency Cover is provided by ARAG plc and underwritten by SCOR UK Company Limited.