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Is your heat pump insured under your home insurance policy? Poll is created on Dec 07, 2022

Yes, we have full cover

Yes, we have partial cover

No, there is an exclusion in my policy

We had the option to insure our heat pump, but opted out

Is your heat pump insured?

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Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs)

Last Post by Davesoa 4 months ago

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Mars

(@editor)

Illustrious Member Admin

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 4468

Topic starter 07/12/2022 4:57 pm

Just curious to see if anyone has their heat pump insured as part of their home insurance policy. We have an exclusion in our home insurance policy that clearly states heat pumps are not covered. We have full boiler coverage in the policy (in the event of damage or emergency repairs), but it categorically states that heat pumps are excluded under the policy. When I contacted the insurance company, they don't allow additional payments to get the heat pump insured. It's a blanket exclusion.

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mjr

(@mjr)

Reputable Member Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 301

07/12/2022 6:01 pm

Have you complained about their anti-green stance? Told the regulator? Your MP? Named and shamed them?

It's a poor show if insurers are punishing people doing what the government seem to want.

Edit to add: it seems that Privilege Home policies include all heating systems except solar and underfloor parts. It excludes regular plumbing type problems, but includes theft and leak damage, without excluding heat pumps as far as I could tell, but of course the exclusion of solar and underfloor from leak cover may be significant. There is also an exclusion of air conditioning which I think might cause problems for anyone with an air-to-air unit. Old Co-op and Nationwide home policies covered all heating systems without significant exclusions, but I've not gone looking for their current wording.

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Mars

(@editor)

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Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 4468

Topic starter 07/12/2022 6:19 pm

@mjr, I think it's indicative of how poorly understood heat pumps are by the mass market and industry as a whole. I guess they're terrified of having to replace a heat pump if the compressor goes kaboom.

But I agree with you wholeheartedly – all central heating, irrespective of whether it's a boiler or heat pump, should be covered. To have a physical exclusion in black and white is certainly a bold move.

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mjr

(@mjr)

Reputable Member Member

Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 301

07/12/2022 6:26 pm

Posted by: @editor

↑

I guess they're terrified of having to replace a heat pump if the compressor goes kaboom.

No buildings or contents policy I've had covered a regular boiler going kaboom. Even "home emergency" policies are very limited in what they'll do about that: one I've seen (forget which of Privilege, Co-op and Nationwide) said they'd give you £250 to get some heaters to tide you over if their engineer can't fix your primary heating.

I wonder if they're terrified of having to replace a stolen outdoor unit, but how much does that happen?

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JulianC

(@julianc)

Honorable Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 336

07/12/2022 10:02 pm

That’s a very good question and one I’ve never thought of when we had an oil boiler. I will go investigate. Thank you for the prompt

Daikin Altherma 3H HT 12kWh ASHP with Mixergy h/w cylinder; 4kW solar PV with Solic 200 electric diverter; Honda e and Volvo EX30 Ultra Twin Performance electric vehicles with Myenergi Zappi mk1 & Ohme chargers

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batalto

(@batalto)

Noble Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 1092

07/12/2022 10:34 pm

Just checked my policy - admiral gold. We are covered for emergency repairs. Below is their definition.

Heating system

The main form of heating in your home, either central heating or other forms of heating such as renewable technologies, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), oil, solid fuel, electric boiler and solar power.

12kW Midea ASHP - 8.4kw solar - 29kWh batteries
262m2 house in Hampshire
Current weather compensation: 47@-2 and 31@17
My current performance can be found - HERE
Heat pump calculator spreadsheet - HERE

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JulianC

(@julianc)

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Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 336

07/12/2022 10:43 pm

Just checked. It’s a bit vague. I will call them on the morning. I think I’m covered thru my service and maintenance contract with Daikin. This is a fixed price 10 year contract that covers annual service as well as any parts and labour for failures.
I guess it doesn’t cover if someone comes and takes the external unit. Which could be quite a challenge. For access and weight

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Oswiu

(@oswiu)

Estimable Member Member

Joined: 3 years ago

Posts: 121

08/12/2022 1:20 am

@batalto I have the same policy and I never even thought about it when our boiler broke. That would have been very useful assuming it doesn't take a month to claim

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JulianC

(@julianc)

Honorable Member Member

Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 336

08/12/2022 2:39 pm

Called my insurance company this morning. Solar PV and new hot water cylinder (Mixergy) covered. Bit of initial confusion on the ASHP as it’s down as electric heating. So covered. Then they thought it should be under “other” so put me thru to amendments. After further discussion and saying it is electrical but really just moves energy from outside to in, it was decided to leave things as they were. Got the comment “oh these new systems” and I replied I think they were invented in 1890.
But I think it is a really low risk for the insurer. Especially as previously mentioned 10 year service and maintenance contract.
it would take 3 big lads to lift it and put it in a van. Think I will buy a lock for the side gate so they’d have to walk all round 😂

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HughF

(@hughf)

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Joined: 4 years ago

Posts: 489

08/12/2022 4:52 pm

I've never insured a heating system and would have no intention of doing so when the heatpump goes in (we're in the middle of the planning stages).... If it goes bang and it's outside of warranty, I'll just buy another one.

Off grid on the isle of purbeck
2.4kW solar, 15kWh Seplos Mason, Outback power systems 3kW inverter/charger, solid fuel heating with air/air for shoulder months, 10 acres of heathland/woods.

My wife’s house: 1946 3 bed end of terrace in Somerset, ASHP with rads + UFH, triple glazed, retrofit IWI in troublesome rooms, small rear extension.

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mjr

(@mjr)

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Posts: 301

08/12/2022 6:24 pm

@mars were you meaning insuring against it going bang or the more usual floods, fires, crime and so on regular home insurance?

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Mars

(@editor)

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Joined: 5 years ago

Posts: 4468

Topic starter 08/12/2022 9:31 pm

@mjr, no, it wasn’t damage or theft I was referring to (even though that is a valid concern on both fronts). My concern was emergency home insurance. But I’m guessing a similar exclusion might exist on our home insurance. I’ll double check that.

It’s -3C outside, dead of winter, and the heat pump stops working. This happened to us two Christmases ago. There’s no chance, especially where we live, that we can get an engineer out on short notice. That’s why we have emergency cover, and that’s when we found out the hard way that our heat pump was excluded from emergency cases.

Boiler issue, no problem.

Water leaks, no problem.

Electricity failure, no problem.

Heat pump, we’re not touching it.

So you’re on your own. We finally managed to get our installers out after two days, which we had to plead and beg for, at an astronomical rate. But it was a lesson learnt.

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