How acts of god or natural disasters affect your home insurance

What is an Act of God?

For home insurance purposes, the phrase ‘Act of God’ means an act of nature that can cause a significant amount of damage.

It’s an uncontrollable event that’s not caused by people and that couldn’t be predicted or avoided.

Natural disasters like floods, storms and earthquakes typically fall into this category.

Is the Act of God clause a myth?

In times gone by, insurance companies sometimes used the catch-all phrase ‘Act of God’ to describe natural disasters that were beyond human control.

These days, you won’t find this term mentioned in insurance policies, although people still sometimes refer to it.

Instead, to avoid confusion, insurers clearly list specific natural disasters and other events in their policies that they will and won’t cover.

Can I get Act of God home insurance?

No, it’s not a type of insurance that exists. However, typically you’ll find a section in your policy that lists the protection you’ll receive in relation to specific types of events.

Standard risks that home insurers cover include fire, leaking roofs, and a tree falling on your property.

It’s worth checking what’s included and comparing policies before you choose your home insurance cover.

What isn’t considered an Act of God?

These are generally events caused by people making it easier for insurers to assess the risk, based on the number of times they’ve occurred and been claimed for in the past.

For example, house fires and burst water pipes happen more often than tsunamis and earthquakes. Your insurer will look at where you live and assess the likely risks in your area.

What natural events will my insurance cover me for?

Certain events that could be classed as natural disasters are more predictable and easier for insurers to assess the risk of than others. And these are more likely to be covered in your policy.

Most standard home insurance policies will protect you against damage caused by:

• Fire
• Floods
• Storms and hurricanes
• Falling trees

What if I live in a high-risk flood area?

While flooding can sometimes be caused by storms and be unexpected, there are some areas that are more likely to flood.

If you live in one of these areas, you may need to take out specialist flood insurance and your premiums may be higher.

Homeowners living in flood-risk areas might be eligible for the Flood Re scheme, a joint initiative between the UK government and the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

The scheme can help to make insurance more affordable and keep premiums down for people living in areas previously hit by floods.

How can I protect my home against a storm or flood?

Pay attention to any weather warnings and make sure you’re prepared. If a severe storm is forecast, you’ll need to make your home as secure as possible.

To help minimise damage, try to tie down or store away any garden furniture and make sure fencing is secure. Plus check your roof for loose tiles, lock any gates and shut windows.

If it’s safe to, clear out your gutters to make sure rainwater can flow away. And if there’s time and you’re worried about flooding, you can try to protect your home with sandbags.

You might also want to move any important documents, photographs and valuable items upstairs.

Find out more with our guide to preparing for a flood.

How will making a claim affect your policy?

Any claim you make can affect the insurer’s view of your level of risk. This means your provider may increase your premiums in the future.

If you find the cost for your renewal goes up a lot after a claim, it’s worth shopping around to compare quotes and policies.

How do I make sure I’ve got the right cover?

Remember that to be fully protected for any weather-related incident, you’ll need cover for both the structure of your home and your belongings.

You can either buy buildings and contents insurance separately as two individual policies, or together as one combined home insurance policy.

Bear in mind that the most important thing to do when you’re taking out cover is to make sure all the information you provide to the insurer is full, correct and up to date.

This should help you to have the right level of cover and make sure that it’s valid.