Boiler protection
We’re here if your boiler stops generating heating or hot water.*
Home emergency cover
Home emergency cover helps you deal with urgent problems in your home quickly.
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Home emergency cover with Policy Expert
When you choose to include home emergency cover with your Policy Expert home insurance , you benefit from:
Plumbing
Protection for a sudden blockage or leak in your home which causes immediate damage or leaves you without water.
Security
If an external door, window or lock becomes damaged leaving your home vulnerable, we’ll come and secure it for you.
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What is home emergency cover?
Home emergency cover helps you deal with sudden, unexpected problems in your home that need urgent attention. If an emergency happens, we'll arrange for a qualified contractor to come out and carry out emergency work. This is usually a temporary repair to remove a health or safety risk, secure your home, or restore essential services like heating, water or electricity.
It's worth knowing this cover is designed to stabilise the situation, not fix it permanently. You may still need to arrange follow-up repairs afterwards.
What are the different levels of home emergency cover
There are differences in what each tier covers. For example, we'll cover the contractor's callout, labour and parts needed to contain the issue, up to £300 with Home Emergency Select and up to £1,000 with Home Emergency Plus.
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Home Emergency Select
Included with Silver and Gold cover. Basic and Bronze customers can add it as an optional extra.
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Home Emergency Plus
Included with Platinum cover, providing the higher tier of home emergency protection. It can be added as optional extra for lower tiers.
What’s included with home emergency cover?
Home Emergency Select covers the emergencies listed here. Home Emergency Plus includes all Select cover, plus pest infestations, storm damage to your roof that lets water in, electrical supply failures and damage to your gas supply pipe.
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A boiler breakdown
that leaves you without heating or hot water.
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Suddenly blocked or leaking pipes
which are creating an emergency in your home.
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A blocked or overflowing toilet
where you have no access to another toilet.
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Drainage problems within your property boundary
like a blocked or damaged drain that needs urgent attention.
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Security issues
like a broken door or faulty lock that leaves your home unsecured.
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How do I check if home emergency cover is included in my home insurance?
Many home insurance policies don't include emergency cover as standard. With Policy Expert, home emergency cover is included with Silver, Gold and Platinum policies. If you have a Bronze or Basic policy, it can be added as an optional extra.
If you're an existing customer, the easiest way to check whether you have home emergency cover is by logging in to your customer account and viewing your policy documents.
What isn’t protected by home emergency cover?
Home emergency cover is designed to provide temporary repairs for covered emergencies. The items on the right are examples of what isn’t covered, not a complete list. Check your policy wording for the full exclusions and any exceptions.
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Claims made 48 hours after discovering the emergency
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Claims made within the first 7 days of a new policy
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Boilers not serviced within the last 15 months
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Boilers over 15 years old
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Boilers with an output over 60KW
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Investigative work (like removing flooring to access a leak)
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How to make a home emergency claim with Policy Expert.
To make a home emergency claim, visit our claims page and follow the link for home emergencies.
We’ll ask you what happened and arrange for one of our experts to discuss the issue with you. They’ll match you with an accredited tradesperson, who’ll then contact you to arrange a visit and deal with the emergency.
Please don’t appoint your own tradesperson before speaking to us, as we may not be able to accept your claim.
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Our awards and recognition
When you choose Policy Expert, you're choosing an insurer recognised for great customer service.
We are rated Excellent on Trustpilot. and were named Buildings Insurance Provider of the Year in the Telegraph Insurance Awards 2025.
Home emergency cover FAQs
How do I make a claim on my home emergency policy?
Home emergency cover is there for you if you are experiencing an emergency - a sudden, unexpected event which leaves your home unsafe or not secure, or which leaves you without essential services, such as heating or a working toilet.
To make a claim, head to our Claims page and click Home emergencies. We’ll take you through the next steps from there.
Please note that we are not able to help with emergencies that you noticed more than 48 hours ago, or within the first 7 days of you holding home emergency cover, unless you already have the equivalent cover with your previous policy.
What should I do if my pipes burst?
There are a few things you need to do if your pipes burst to minimise the damage and speed up the claims process.
1. Shut off the water
Turn off the water at the mains by shutting off the main stopcock. This will stop the flow of water into the house and prevent any more coming into the pipes. If any electrical sockets are affected, turn off the electrical supply immediately.
2. Contact your insurer
Check your policy documents to see if you’ve got home emergency cover. You can access them by logging on to the customer portal. If you do, use our helpful claims tool to be directed to the right team. It’s important to note that Home Emergency doesn’t include finding the cause of your emergency, such as digging up the floor or removing panelling, flooring or tiles. However, this may be included in your main home insurance policy. Even if you don’t have Home Emergency cover, it’s still a good idea to contact your insurer as they can advise you of the best steps to avoid any further damage.
3. Contact a plumbing professional
Occasionally, within our Home Emergency cover, we may agree that you can arrange for your own tradesperson to deal with the emergency if this will help resolve the issue more quickly. If you have spoken to us and we have agreed that this is the best way to proceed, you can arrange for a reputable plumber to attend and repair the leak itself. Please note, if the water has caused any resultant water damage, you must make your home insurer aware straight away and do not get any repairs completed before you contact them. If water has reached power sockets, call out a certified electrician. Don't use any appliances which are wet.
4. Document the damage
Check exactly what you need to do to make a claim. This generally involves photographing damage, keeping damaged items until your insurer tells you to dispose of them and keeping receipts for new items or services. We’ll let you know if you can start making repairs, or whether we’re arranging for a loss adjuster to come and examine the damage in person.
5. Putting things right
Getting your home back to normal after damage from a burst pipe can take a long time. Furniture and fixtures which have been damaged will need to be removed, then walls and floors will need to fully dry out before repair work, such as plastering and redecorating, can begin.
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