Glossary of contents insurance terms
These terms are here to help you with your Household Insurance purchase. The answers given are meant as a guide, before you buy your policy you should check the individual terms and conditions shown in the insurers policy wording.

accidental damage

unintended and unexpected damage caused by sudden and external means. This would exclude electrical and mechanical derangement and the action of insects, moths, vermin and the like. See also accidental damage to buildings and accidental damage to contents.

bedroom

a room originally built as a bedroom even if it is now used for another purpose.

buildings

your home together with its permanent fixtures and fittings, domestic outbuildings, walls, gates, fences, terraces and patios and swimming pools, tennis courts and service tanks.

business equipment

computers and their peripheral equipment, fax machines, photocopiers, office furniture, telecommunications equipment (both owned and rented but excluding mobile telephones), stationery and office supplies. It does not include work in progress or files or the cost of reconstituting work in the event of an incident.

contents

household goods, clothing, furniture and equipment which you own or are legally responsible for.

credit cards

charge cards, credit cards, debit and cash cards. It does not include store or distributor’s loyalty cards.

endorsement

any variation to the terms and conditions of your policy

excess

the amount you must pay towards any claim. You should check to see if it is economical to make a claim as your no claims discount will be affected

geographical limits

Great Britain, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

home

the dwelling, its extensions and private garage and domestic outbuildings which are of standard construction and used solely by you as a private home.

incident

any event that might lead to a claim

index linking

your sums insured, as stated in the schedule will be adjusted, annually, in line with approved indices and your premium will be adjusted at renewal date accordingly. If you wish to reduce your sums insured you must inform your insurer and for your buildings insurance your mortgage provider if you have one.

insured

you and the members of your family permanently residing with you. It does not include guests (paying or otherwise).

insurer

the insurance company or underwriter you have selected from the quotations offered calculated form the information you have provided, and for which the premium has been paid.

money

cash, cheques, postal and money orders, stamps, savings stamps, travellers cheques, tickets, season tickets and luncheon vouchers. It does not include stamp or coin collections.

no claims discount

a discount from the premium given if there have been no claims in previous years. The discount increases according to the scale in the policy with every year that is free of claim. If a claim is made or incident notified the no claims discount is disallowed. In the event of the incident not materialising into a claim payment the no claims discount will be reinstated.

perils

the policy offers cover against the principal perils of fire, explosion, earthquake, lightning, riot and civil commotion, storm tempest or flood and damage resulting from the accidental escape of water, burst pipes, impact by road vehicles, aerial devices or articles dropped therefrom (this does not include damage caused by birds), falling trees, theft or any attempted theft. For a full definition of the cover is described in your policy wording.

period of insurance

the period of insurance shown in the policy schedule and for which the premium has been paid.

personal belongings

items normally worn or carried by you in daily life other than items held or used for business purposes (it does not include mobile telephones).

policy

the contract between you and your insurer providing insurance in the amounts you have selected subject to terms, conditions and exclusions described in detail in the wording.

policy document

the wording that describes conditions and cover of your Household policy

premium

the amount payable, for the information you have given, to insure your property and/or its contents for the period of insurance selected.

public and personal liability

This provides cover in the event that you are responsible for causing accidental death, injury, illness or disease or accidental damage to property.

schedule

the document that shows the details of your cover including the your details, any endorsements to your policy, and any declarations that you have made and agreed too.

standard construction

external walls of brick or stone or concrete and roofed externally with slates, tiles or concrete or any other non-combustible mineral and no more than 20% of the total external roof area being flat roofed and/or felt or bitumen covered.

standard cover

basically, standard cover includes, fire, lightning, earthquake, explosion, theft, water damage (burst pipe & flood), impact (by animals, vehicles or aircraft), falling trees (including branches, telegraph poles & receiving aerials), malicious damage, subsidence, heave and landslip and personal liability. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

statement of fact

the statement, which you have agreed to by purchasing this insurance, which forms the basis of the contract of insurance. Your agreement is that the information given is true and that no material facts have been withheld or suppressed.

sum insured

The amount is shown in the schedule of your policy. If your policy covers contents the sum insured must be sufficient to replace, as new, all the contents of your home. If your policy covers the buildings of your home then the sum insured must be sufficient to rebuild in the event of total destruction.

unfurnished

a home with insufficient furniture to be considered fully lived in.

unoccupied

a home not lived in (nor intended to be lived in) for more than 30 consecutive days.

valuables

jewellery, precious stones or articles made from gold, silver or other precious metals, clocks, watches, photographic equipment (not for commercial use), binoculars, telescopes and the like, musical instruments, antiques, curios and works of art, stamps and coin collections.

you

the person, or persons, shown in the schedule as the insured