Winter risk as just one boiler in five protected by standard home cover

Families are being urged to check now to make sure they avoid a "nasty shock" if their central heating breaks down.

New research shows just one home insurance policy in five (21%) includes cover for home emergencies like boiler breakdown as standard, financial information firm Defaqto found.

Defaqto's Brian Brown said: "As the temperature starts to drop, having hot water and heating becomes a higher priority again.

"Modern boilers are expensive and the cost of having to replace one can be a nasty shock."

Nearly half of the contents and buildings insurance policies currently available do let people add home emergency cover as an optional add-on, Defaqto found.

This includes 45% of contents insurance policies and 49% of buildings insurance policies.

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Another alternative is to purchase a separate "standalone" home emergency insurance - and there are currently 104 such policies available, Defaqto said.

Home emergency insurance is sometimes added on to home contents and buildings insurance and packaged bank accounts or offered through utility providers, so it is worth checking whether there is already cover in place and checking for any exclusions, before buying a new policy.

Defaqto also said people should bear in mind when choosing a policy that, generally, home emergency insurance offers more comprehensive cover than just a boiler breaking down.

It is designed to help people who have been hit by an emergency to make their home safe again or reinstate essential services - and may also include protection for burst pipes, electrical failures and roof damage caused by the weather.

In some cases, home-owners may find that, with home emergency insurance, they will be covered for alternative accommodation if their property is uninhabitable for a while.

Boiler breakdown insurance, meanwhile, is specifically designed to protect against future costs of a boiler breaking down.

A large proportion of policies include an annual boiler service.

There will also be exclusions in some policies however, based on the age and power output of the boiler.