Four Questions to ask yourself before assuming your Gadgets are covered by your Home Insurance

Gadgets these days are more portable than ever. Your Smartphone is conveniently pocket sized and devices like laptops and iPads are designed to leave your home when required. These are the things  we are likely to take with us when we go to work, out with friends or on holiday and for that reason there is much potential for these gadgets to get lost stolen or damaged.

Many of us aren't aware of exactly what position we’re in with regards to Home Insurance and whether or not our portable gadgets are covered as standard or what the implications of claiming on our Home Insurance may be. To help you make an informed decision we have highlighted the four questions you should ask yourself before deciding whether or not your items are covered on your Home Insurance or if you need to invest in specialist Gadget Insurance to protect your portable technology.

What to ask yourself before assuming your gadgets are covered by your Home Insurance

1. Does Your Policy Include away from home cover?

Away from home cover protects your gadgets when you take them out with you when you're outside of your home. Many Home Insurance policies will not include this as standard, and may carry an additional premium for away from home cover. Therefore you will need to check the restrictions as some items may not be covered if they are stolen when out and about or from your car or your place of work. You will also more than likely not be covered if you take your gadgets abroad with you, so it is worth checking this if you are planning a holiday. Specialist Gadget Insurers like Protect your bubble cover your gadgets abroad for up to 90 days. Some Home Insurance policies will require you to name items that are above a certain value and this could raise your premiums so it’s also important to check that expensive gadgets are not excluded on this basis

2. What is the excess on your Home Insurance?

Excess is the amount  you will be required to pay upfront when making a claim on your Insurance. It is common for all types of Insurance to have a predetermined level of excess and this could come in at  around £300 when making a claim on Home Insurance policies, potentially more than your gadget is worth. Excess fee amounts on specialist Gadget Insurance policies like Protect your bubble’s are between £25 and £75 which is significantly lower than the excess you may be required to pay on your Home Insurance so it could be worth while paying a a small additional monthly cost to protect your gadget separately so you are not stung with a huge excess should you need it replaced.

3. What is covered by the policy?

Your Home Insurance will most likely cover your belongings if they are damaged in a fire or flood or are stolen from your home, but there is plenty more that could go wrong with your gadget such as mechanical breakdown, isolated water damage or loss. You will need to check whether or not you are covered for these eventualities as Home Insurance generally doesn't cover against everything that  specialist Gadget Insurance does. Protect your bubble protect gadgets against accidental damage, liquid damage, theft and breakdown as standard.

4. Who is included on your Home Insurance policy?

If you live with your parents or are renting a house with friends and have a single Home Insurance then your no claims bonus could be affected when making a claim, resulting in higher insurance premiums for everyone. Check with your insurance company to see if you will be penalised should you need to make a claim as if it's only your item that is lost or stolen, it may cause problems for everyone if you make a claim on your Home Insurance. Expensive items will probably need to be named on the policy and will result in a higher premium, so if your parents or housemate have taken out Home Insurance cover on your behalf, you will need to ensure that they have taken the necessary steps to cover your expensive gadgets. If you are a university student moving your gadgets from your university home and your parent’s home throughout the year then you will probably have to arrange cover for your Gadgets under a separate policy.

Once you’ve asked yourself these four questions you will be in a better position to understand whether or not you need specialist Gadget Insurance cover. Protect your bubble covers mobile phones, laptops, iPads, Cameras and much more.