Inspections and Home Insurance

[DGF]

Hi All
There has been lots of discussions about the frequency of EICRs for Rental properties but what about the idea of insurance companies insisting on an electrical inspection before providing building insurance? Or even offering a discount if a certificate is in place?.
cheers

don

 

[Des 56]

It could be that when a claim is made,the insurance companies can wriggle out of much of the payments if unsatisfactory electrics are suspected

With that in mind,why would they throw away an advantage they have,ie not involving themselves with Inspections ,which by the way would make them no profit

 

[snowhead]

If there were too many incidents of fires related to poor electrical installations then the Insurance companies would do this.
It would need all Insurance companies to agree to do this otherwise those that didn't require it would get all the insurance business.

The Insurance companies all agreeing would be seen as anti competetive,, non starter.

 

[DGF]

Or perhaps a politician with insurance "contacts" might decide to make it law!!!!

 

[Brightspark2]

If there were too many incidents of fires related to poor electrical installations then the Insurance companies would do this.

Electrical problems are the biggest cause of electrical fires in the UK.

Over half of all accidental fires caused by electrical problems.

 

[snowhead]

Electrical problems are the biggest cause of electrical fires in the UK.

Over half of all accidental fires caused by electrical problems.

Is that electrical installation fires or fires from accessories plugged in?

I'll answer that now, figures I've just found for 2011;

More than half (51 per cent) of accidental fires in homes arose from cooking. Other common sources of ignition were: electrical appliances (12 per cent), electrical distribution (10 per cent), smokers' materials (7 per cent), and space heating appliances (4 per cent).

 

[Octopus]

Any such move would make even more drive pass EICR's get done - i.e. worthless.

 

[bradder]

Insurance companies only seem to insist on a cert if its a thatched cottage.

 

[Rockingit]

I think the insurance companies regard too much stipulation as counter productive. Think about it - how many sparks on here have had to supply copies of their certs and training evidence before they'd be given PL and PI insurance? Anyone?? Not me, ever.

It would add such a burdensome amount of admin their end that the premiums would have to go up, so no popularity votes there, and the whole system would grind to a halt: xx million of housing stock being renewed every year must be many hundreds of thousands of properties per day, and there's no way it would ever work to get each one EICR'd, then approved before (or even during) renewal.

So, from an insurance perspective if you have 25,000 house fires annually, at maybe £50k each as an average thats £125m, spread out across all the firms.... it's peanuts and money well spent