Damage caused by power cut. Insurance won't pay

clairih

Hi all,
Hope someone might be able to help.
Last weekend a crashed and then burnt out car at the end of my road damaged the electricity supply. Power was off all day.
When power came back on my boiler wouldn't work properly. Hot water but no heating.
Engineers still working on the electricity said they thought it very unlikely it was a coincidence and to ring my insurer.
So I confidently ( I know, silly me) rang them. I have buildings and contents insurance. Explained the situation and they said they won't pay because it's accidental damage and I don't have that cover.
I did express my surprise as it certainly wasn't what I would class as accidental damage but she said it was because the actual damage to the supply happened away from my property. They could have covered it if the car had crashed on my property.
Electric company told me to try my insurers when I rang them.
Insurers suggested I claim from car driver but car was stolen.
So I'm stumped and facing a really hefty bill and meanwhile me and the kids are freezing
I thought I might ring the insurers back and try again but don't want to waste my time! I wondered if anyone had any suggestions. She said it didn't fit into any of their categories but wouldn't tell me what the categories were.
Thanks in advance

Quentin

What is the fault to your central heating that you have been told is due to the power cut?

clairih

The boilers circuit board is damaged . The engineer is happy to tell them it was caused by the cut.

Quentin

Get the engineer to write a report, and pass it to the electricity distributor with a copy of the receipt and ask them to reimburse you then take it from their reply.

clairih

Thanks for that.
That's a better bet than fighting my insurer you reckon?

Quentin

Check your policy wording, though if you haven't got any cover against damage caused by power cuts then it looks like your insurer is in the clear

POPPYOSCAR

I cannot see how the electricity company can be held liable for this.


They did not cause the power cut.

Quentin

POPPYOSCAR wrote: »

I cannot see how the electricity company can be held liable for this.


They did not cause the power cut.

You are correct.


It's the "distributor" you should set your sights on. (terminology corrected in #4)

clairih

Ok thanks, will dig out the policy and read through wording to be sure.
And will write to the distributor ( who previously told me to try the electric supplier).
Someone somewhere might take pity! Forever the optimist ��

forgotmyname

Why did a powercut damage the board? How does the powercut differ to you switching the power off inside the property or at the meter?

We have had powercuts, they had to dig up half the street once tracing a fault. Never had an issue with the boiler.

vacheron

forgotmyname wrote: »

Why did a powercut damage the board? How does the powercut differ to you switching the power off inside the property or at the meter?

We have had powercuts, they had to dig up half the street once tracing a fault. Never had an issue with the boiler.

Depending on how the damage was caused there may have been a significant increase in the voltage immediately before the distribution company's protective devices isolated the power. The same can also happen when the voltage is first restored and everyone's equipment starts up simultaneously.

Some appliances can be particularly susceptible to these transients while others are not.