Home emergency insurance is a specialist policy designed to protect UK homeowners and tenants from the financial burden and inconvenience of unexpected household emergencies. Unlike standard home insurance, it focuses on the immediate repair of essential services that make your home uninhabitable or unsafe.
What Does Home Emergency Insurance Cover?
Heating and boiler failures — the most commonly claimed area. Covers emergency repairs to restore heating and hot water.
Plumbing and drainage — burst pipes, blocked drains affecting the sole facility in the property, leaking radiators. Usually requires that the issue affects habitability or poses an immediate risk of damage.
Electrical system failures — complete loss of power or dangerous faults affecting the whole system. Individual appliance failures are generally excluded.
Roofing damage — storm damage causing water ingress. Typically covers temporary repairs; permanent solutions are often referred to standard home insurance.
Security — broken locks, damaged doors or windows after a break-in. Many policies also include pest infestations (wasp/hornet nests, rodents) — this varies significantly by provider.
What's Typically Excluded?
Pre-existing faults or gradual deterioration.
Boilers and heating systems over 10–15 years old.
Systems that have not been serviced in the previous 12 months.
Issues caused by DIY repairs or modifications.
Consequential damage — contents damaged by a burst pipe, for example, are usually claimed on your home contents insurance, not home emergency cover.
How to Compare Providers
Annual premium — typically £80–£200 per year. Compare coverage breadth, not just price.
Excess per claim — usually £50–£100. Some policies offer zero excess at a higher premium.
Per-claim limit — typically £500–£1,500. Ensure this is sufficient for the most likely emergencies in your home.
Response times — 24/7 helplines are standard; actual response time targets vary (typically 24–48 hours).
Waiting period — most policies have a 14–30 day waiting period from inception. Check if you need immediate cover.
Common Claim Rejection Reasons
Lack of maintenance — boiler not serviced annually by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Pre-existing issues — problems that existed before the policy started or during the waiting period.
Non-emergency — issues that are not urgent and do not pose a habitability risk.
Exceeding limits — repair costs above per-claim or annual aggregate limits remain the homeowner's responsibility.
Home Emergency vs Boiler Service Plan
Home emergency insurance responds to unexpected breakdowns only. A boiler service plan (such as British Gas HomeCare) typically includes an annual boiler service plus repair cover — more comprehensive but more expensive. If your boiler is relatively new and well-maintained, home emergency insurance may be the more cost-effective choice.
Compare home emergency providers on Compear — we list the leading UK options side by side.
Compare home emergency insurance on Compear — cover from leading UK providers including ROW, 247 Home Rescue, British Gas and HomeServe.
This guide is for general information. Premiums and policy terms are indicative and subject to change. Always read the full policy wording before purchasing. Correct at time of writing.