MSE News: Water users sold 'unnecessary' pipe insurance

caveat_emptor

I contacted Thames Water a while ago and was told that they would not repair water supply pipe for free under any circumstances as their responsibility ended at the stopcock. Can anyone provide a link thay says otherwise?

Gothicfairy

Like most insurance it is " potentially unnecessary" but that does not mean it serves no purpose at all.
Some people have used the insurance to claim for work that would not have been done through any other policy so as long as you check your home owner / building insurance and understand what is and what isn't covered I really can't see the issue.

Surely it is down to the home owner to make sure that they have the insurance they need however that is done and if you take out something you don't need then you must take some responsibility for that or is this part of the " always someone else to blame" culture that seems to be taking root.

Gothicfairy

caveat_emptor wrote: »

I contacted Thames Water a while ago and was told that they would not repair water supply pipe for free under any circumstances as their responsibility ended at the stopcock. Can anyone provide a link thay says otherwise?

Can't provide anything that says otherwise as their responsibility is up to the boundary / meter / stop tap ( depending on location )

Anything past that point is the customers and therefore down to the home owner to fix. Some companies offer a one off free service but I don't think Thames do so if they are saying it is on your communication pipe / supply pipe then it will be up to you to sort out unless you can prove otherwise.
Ask for a copy of the GISST map to show where the pipe work runs and then you can work out who should be doing what.

MiserlyMartin

HappyMJ wrote: »

If I took out insurance on everything possible I would have no money left for anything else. This insurance is £42 per year and is only worth it if you claim. The chance of claiming according to them is low...8% of homeowners have had an emergency "at some point" and the pipe will usually be replaced for free anyway (once only). Buildings insurance will also usually cover burst pipes as well and replace for free. So why have this insurance?

I am taking the risk and self insuring for this eventuality.

I agree, Anglian Water were promoting the fact that if you have a water meter fitted, they will cover more of your pipe than those without a meter. But lately they are pushing this third party insurance. I suggest only those in old properties will have old pipes that may leak. Even if it did, the one repair should see to it that the pipe won't leak again as new plastic pipes will be used. My Mother signed up to this insurance and would not cancel despite my protests of the waste of money.

Most insurance is not worth buying and is always sold on a fear of something bad happening - which rarely does. You are better off putting the money in your own bank account.

Stompa

CHRISSYG wrote: »

Ive had a collapsed drain repaired under this scheme, something neither my home insurance or water company would deal with so im happy to be one of the fools paying under £40 a year for this insurance !!

It's worth remembering that the rules changed back in October:

http://ccwater.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/522

so that more of the pipework has become the responsibility of the water companies, though of course that may not have helped in your particular case.

Arthurian

Free £10 if Homeserve 'silent called' your phone:-

http://www.homeserve.com/about/ofcom-statement

grandma247

Paying or not paying insurance will also depend on whether you have enough savings to cover your costs if a pipe or drain goes. We do not have enough in savings for anything major so I pay the £11 every three months. It would take me a long time to save £2000 or more. We live in a 130 year old house so the drains will be old as I don't think they have done anything to them in a number of years. The water company are slowly replacing pipes in town but it will take them years to complete.

MiserlyMartin

grandma247 wrote: »

Paying or not paying insurance will also depend on whether you have enough savings to cover your costs if a pipe or drain goes. We do not have enough in savings for anything major so I pay the £11 every three months. It would take me a long time to save £2000 or more. We live in a 130 year old house so the drains will be old as I don't think they have done anything to them in a number of years. The water company are slowly replacing pipes in town but it will take them years to complete.

I think its worth taking the insurance in your case.

Janine1972

I have water supply insurance through Homeserve. The row of houses where I live have experienced several leaks in the supply this year. As they are situated on a privately owned lane (owned by me) I thought the £35 a year was a bargain. United utilities fixed 4 leaks and excavated 3 more holes to try and find a 5th but were unsuccessful. All this was done free of charge. They're limited to 3 excavations though before they say 'over to you' At which point homeserve came into play. They came 3 times, the first 2 visits lasted 5 minutes and the local plumbers scratched their heads, the third, travelling from the other side of the country, lasted 3 hours using leak detection equipment. The result, they won't touch it. They suggested digging up my slate floors to locate it but as I have the same slate throughout my ground floor, I asked them to consider re routing a new supply. Quite simply I think it was out of their league and they have now, after 4 months in total, passed me onto my buildings insurance. I cannot fault United Utilities for their free work and had my leak been located, it would have been done free, just like the other four on these private properties.

Janine1972

Janine1972 wrote: »

I have water supply insurance through Homeserve. The row of houses where I live have experienced several leaks in the supply this year. As they are situated on a privately owned lane (owned by me) I thought the £35 a year was a bargain. United utilities fixed 4 leaks and excavated 3 more holes to try and find a 5th but were unsuccessful. All this was done free of charge. They're limited to 3 excavations though before they say 'over to you' At which point homeserve came into play. They came 3 times, the first 2 visits lasted 5 minutes and the local plumbers scratched their heads, the third, travelling from the other side of the country, lasted 3 hours using leak detection equipment. The result, they won't touch it. They suggested digging up my slate floors to locate it but as I have the same slate throughout my ground floor, I asked them to consider re routing a new supply. Quite simply I think it was out of their league and they have now, after 4 months in total, passed me onto my buildings insurance. I cannot fault United Utilities for their free work and had my leak been located, it would have been done free, just like the other four on these private properties.

Update to the last. My buildings insurance won't touch it. The leak is somewhere under the house but as there is no sign of loss or damage, buildings insurance doesn't kick in. I discussed this with Homeserve who are now happy to dig up my slate floors but will not replace the flooring afterwards. Needless to say I have not told them to go ahead. Obtaining matching slate will be near impossible and the cost of potentially replacing the entire ground floor (there are no door bars, it continues straight through all rooms) very expensive. Money I just do not have, nor can obtain. So the water continues to escape into the unknown. On the plus side if my house collapses, maybe the buildings insurance will kick in.