Home Insurance

The excess refers to the minimum amount you will pay in the event of a loss. This amount is not covered by the insurance company as you are responsible for paying this "excess" amount. The current standard excess on a SuperValu home insurance policy is €350. However, you may have options in terms of selecting a policy excess and this can vary from choosing a low excess to a higher one.

There are lots of factors to consider when deciding on the right excess for you.

A higher excess generally results in a lower premium. In the event of a claim however, you will be liable to pay the greater excess amount as you've chosen a higher amount. If you choose a lower excess, you will likely have a higher premium to pay but in the event of a claim, you will have less money to pay.

There are also some specific Home Insurance Excess considerations:

Claims for the escape of water or frost damage to any fixed water, drainage or heating installation, plumbing or fixed domestic appliance are subject to a higher excess noted on your policy schedule of insurance.

Subsidence, ground heave, or landslip claims are subject to a higher excess noted on your policy schedule of insurance.

Accidental Damage is sudden, unintentional and unexpected physical damage to your buildings or contents, that can be seen.

Examples of accidental damage would be unintentionally putting a foot through the attic floor or suddenly spilling paint on the carpet.

Your policy also covers you for accidental damage to entertainment equipment up to €2,000 per item.

Underinsurance happens when the amount of insurance on your property isn’t enough to cover the full cost of a claim. The impact of inflation can make your cover worth less over time. Underinsurance has become a more prominent issue in recent years due to rising inflation, which in turn impacts repair, service and labour costs.

We have more specific details on home underinsurance here.

There are lots of sources of information to help you find out how much you need to cover your home for, to cover a rebuild or loss. Below are some examples.

Revenue regularly advise all homeowners to re-estimate the market value of their home, providing tools and calculators to help validate the estimate. They are available here. This is primarily to determine the LPT Local property tax band that is relevant for your home but the information and bands may serve as a useful guide.

It may also be worth viewing the Residential Property Price Register, which is an official public database, publishing the details of all residential property sales in Ireland. It can provide details of all such transactions from 01 January 2010.

Homeowners can also opt for a private valuation from a chartered surveyor or seek guidance from an estate agent as well as viewing property websites.

What it is: Protection for the value of your frozen food, if it is ruined by a covered event.

SuperValu home insurance does include a frozen food cover that compensates for loss or damage to your freezer's contents, up to a maximum of €750. This coverage is typically included with a standard home contents policy but is dependent on the specific terms and conditions of your policy, as outlined in Section E of your schedule. The claim must be due to an insured event, such as a power outage.

Maximum payout: The most our underwriter will pay is €750 per claim.

How to check: You can confirm if this is included in your policy by checking your policy schedule.

Covered events: The cover typically applies if the loss is a direct result of an insured event like a power cut.

What's not covered: Spoilage due to your own actions, such as unplugging the appliance or leaving the door open, is not covered.

New for Old - home insurance means that if your belongings are lost or damaged, they will be replaced with brand new items at their full replacement value.

What "new for old" means for you and examples:

Full replacement value: You are paid the cost to buy a brand new item, not what the old, used item was worth.

No deduction for wear and tear (in most cases): For most items like furniture, as long as you've kept them in good condition and your sum insured reflects the full value as new, you won't have to pay for the wear and tear.

Potential deductions: A deduction for wear and tear will be made for specific items like:

Clothes, furs, and household linen.

Electronics such as TVs, computers, game consoles, etc., if they are over one year old.

Carpets over five years old.

How claims are settled: Our Insurance Underwriter will typically work with their own suppliers to repair, reinstate, or replace the lost or damaged property, and will not pay more than their suppliers would charge.

Importance of correct sum insured: It's crucial to insure your contents for the total value of replacing everything as if it were new, otherwise, you may not be paid the full amount of your claim.

Key considerations

• Check your policy documents for the full details on wear and tear deductions and specific item limits.
• Make sure you are not underinsured, as this could mean you have to pay for a portion of the claim yourself. See here for further detail.
• If you have high-value items, you may need to add them to your policy separately or ensure they are covered under your contents insurance.

SuperValu Home Insurance offers an optional extra called Extended Personal Belongings and Valuables cover. Adding this option to your home insurance will cover loss or damage to personal belongings that you normally bring outside your home, like your watch, jewellery, camera, laptop.

SuperValu insurance also offer increased contents cover (by 10%) for one month before and after a Wedding day and Christmas day if you have a buildings and contents or contents only insurance, at NO EXTRA COST. This is because we recognise that you may be holding or receiving high value gifts on these occasions. Plus, we want you to enjoy the occasion as fully as possible without having to worry, so this extra covers offers some additional reassurance.

Yes there is over for loss or theft of home heating oil up to a value of €750. This cover is included with Buildings & Contents & Contents only insurance.

A SuperValu home insurance policy offers cover up to €1,000 for loss or damage to contents that are usually kept outside in the garden, for example garden furniture.

There is also cover for loss or theft of home heating oil up to a value of €750. 

This cover is provided with Buildings & Contents insurance as well as Contents only insurance.

SuperValu Insurance are pleased to offer a variety of discounts on home insurance.

No claims discount of up to 30% for 3 years no claims.
10% for an Intruder alarm.
5% discount for approved security locks/working smoke alarm.

We also offer a range of discounts, referred to as multi policy discounts - when you have more than one policy with us.

Examples:

1. If you have a SuperValu home policy, then take out a car policy, you get an EXTRA 10% of your car policy.
2. If you have a SuperValu car policy, then take out a home policy you get an EXTRA 5% of your home policy.

If you are a cyclist or have purchased a new bicycle that is of high value, you have the option of covering your bicycle up to a value of €2,000 on your home insurance policy. This cover protects your bike against accidental damage, theft or fire.