Short-Term Insurance Helpful Tips and Hints

Tips for ensuring that your home insurance works for you

• When calculating the amount you need to insure your home contents for, use the current replacement value rather than the original cost of goods - which may result in a shortfall.
• Review your insurance policy in detail every 6-12 months to offset the risk of under or over insuring your goods.
• Make sure you have adequate coverage. Determine your needs and enquire on value added services that will give you more cover and peace of mind.
• Filing a claim is easier when you can prove what you owned in the event of loss. Make sure you have receipts, or even a video of items you owned in your home, stored in a safe place.
• Whenever you install new appliances, or purchase any new items, be sure to add these items onto your policy.
• Update your policy after a life-changing event – for example if you recently got married or divorced and notify PPS STI immediately of any changes in circumstance, to make sure your cover does not get compromised.
• Protect your collectables. Do you have a special collection of perhaps stamps, art or personal documents? If so, ensure that you have All Risk insurance to cover accidental losses or damages.
• Accidental Damage cover on your home policy protects you from the unforeseen accidents around the house, like dropping your TV when moving it from room to room.
• When the contents of your refrigerators and freezers accidentally spoil in your private home, caused by a change in temperature due to load shedding or a power interruption, we’ve got you covered with your Home insurance policy.

Tips for securing your home this festive season

• Ask your neighbour to switch on the lights in your home, open and close the curtains and collect any mail when you’re on holiday.
• When you go away, automate your lights in certain rooms according to the schedule when you would be at home. Set timers on your TV or radio so it looks like there’s someone home!
• Consider getting your house installed with technology that lets you switch the lights on and off from your app when you’re on holiday.
• Put your fridge on vacation mode, or, adjust the temperature so it isn’t on supercool when you go away. A closed-up house can raise the kitchen temperature, thereby increasing your fridge’s energy use by up to 50% in summer. This will keep the fridge from blowing a circuit.
• Unplug your unused appliances such as your toaster, coffeemaker, dryer, washing machine, radio and TV. You’ll save electricity and also eliminate the risk of a power surge damaging your appliances.
• Switch off your geyser and close off the water to the dishwasher, washing machine and all the toilets in your home before you go away. Pressure surges can cause a burst pipe while you are away on holiday.
• Inform your local police department and your alarm company that you are going away. Leave an emergency contact and a spare key with a friend or relative that you trust.