Home Insurance - Emergency Cover & Legal Protection

anotheruser

I know what people are likely to say but I'm not sure whether adding these are worth it.

Just done a quote for home insurance.

Post Office Bronze: £96 (£61).
Esure (with added legal protection and emergency over): £136 (£101).
Both come with £35 cashback.

Both our cars have just gone through the garage.  One is a service that will be about £150ish (service + parts), the other had just an MOT, which is around £40.  However the first car broke down yesterday.  Prices for fixing it are £600 - £900 + labour, so we're pretty short on money this month (although plan to look at a 0% credit card for that bill).

However, it's also the month of paying for home + contents insurance.
We've owned this house for 4 years and never claimed.  I know anything could happen and I know there's no easy answer to weighing up the options but I'm thinking against paying the extra.  I'm in a Union at work, which provides some legal protection (although I should check the limits properly I guess).  The emergency cover Esure offers seems to cover broken pipes and boiler breakdowns.  Our boiler was installed just a couple of years ago and is due a service in September.  It's still under warranty for most things because we've had it serviced last year.

We're not particularly risky people but have never had breakdown cover - something that some people think everyone should have.  We don't have any insurance for our phones, no life insurance or anything like that (although I am more than covered with loss of life through a pension scheme at work).

Should we opt for the more expensive home insurance with cover?
Why?

tacpot12

Legal Protection Insurnace is one of the most useful insurances you can buy. I doubt your Trades Union will cover you for consumer or home owner issues. I expect they will limit cover to Employment issues only, and even then, they can be very stingy and the amount of support and advice can be minimial.
 
Home Emergency Cover Protection insurance is not worth it. Just save up £20 a month and insure yourself. 

Sandtree

Price s not always a proxy for quality and when you are talking only £40 difference its likely differences in ratings will make that up quicker than policy differences.

Its better to look at the sums insured including any inner limits for valuables and exactly what each policy considers valuables... do either policies have matching set cover and are you bothered about matching sets? For buildings this includes tiles and kitchen units. 

I too am not sufficiently risk adverse to consider mobile insurance or home emergency however know I couldnt afford to replace all our contents if the house burnt down so dont scrimp on cover for home insurance (plus for Life cover I am aware that 5x salary is not going to replace my salary for the next 20 years and pay off the mortgage etc for the Mrs so do have Life cover because its so cheap anyway)

anotheruser

Hmm, thanks both.
Still have a few weeks before renewal so will have a think.

csgohan4

Problem of pegging things like mobile insurance onto your home insurance, you claim your premiums increase. 

Thats why I prefer those to be stand alone, such as with packaged bank accounts, which do not need to be declared on home insurance renewals generally and premiums don't increase due to a claim

lisyloo

Emergency home cover is not worth it if you are able bodied.
It is literally for emergencies.
if for example there is a window broken they won’t be able to get parts or a proper glazier out at a weeekend, it is literally to board it up and make it safe.
With leaks the emergency fix may be simply to switch the water off which you can easily do yourself.

I personally would get legal cover. I paid £14 for my standalone policy.
I would certainly get vehicle breakdown cover. I use auto aid £60 for household.
I wouldn’t bother with boiler break down.
Don’t bother with life insurance if you don’t need it.