AA home emergency cover

[abstibus]

Is this worth having if you have home and contents insurance?

[Mosaic]

We had this from Barclaycard years ago. Only ever used it once for a plumber - his work was fine but the firm it was arranged through were a nightmare.

[abstibus]

It's £79 for the year. I reckon that would go quite a way towards paying a good local firm.

[buildersmate]

I think you will find that most companies offer this as an optional extra to buildings/contents cover. With my insurer (AXA) it costs an additional £39.99p per annum.

So if you have decided you want it, compare the AA cost with your existing insurer, because it is usually the case that bundling it as an optional extra is cheaper than establishing a separate policy (because insurers have fixed costs with just operating each policy).

Whether you think it is worth £40 for peace of mind is up to you and you will undoubtedly get different answers, because it's a personally thing.

Your decision may depend upon:
if your home is well-maintained and relatively new, so less likely to create such an emergency
whether you know enough to deal yourself with immediate emergencies. The thing most people rightly fear is water flowing - but if you know how to turn off at the main stop-valve, it may not be an issue
how resilient you are to waiting a couple of days to get a tradesman at 'non-ridiculous' call-out rates.

[abstibus]

Builder
Thank you for such a detailed reply. The house has just been renovated and I pay great attention to maintenance. I have a very good plumbing/electrical firm who will come out very quickly, and an excellent handyman who will come around at a moment's notice.
I suppose the sensible thing would be to go and check my house insurance policy - this cover (apart from the wasps' nests!) may well be included.
Thanks again ( I know where the stopcock is).

[gingejbee]

Totally agree with buidersmate. Only you can decide if you want it (on the basis of the points he has made above)...but if you do opt for it, ask your present insurers for a quote. It's likely to be around half the cost of a stand-alone policy.