House fires and dodgy wiring!

[crankedup]

Living in a thatched house brings with it needs for specialised insurance, a loyal customer for eight years and no claims brought an increase of 30% onto my premium earlier this year! Shop around and found like for like at a sensible premium, so I took the insurance offer on. The Company insisted on seeing my 'Certificate of Conformity' for the electrical wiring within the property, something my previous insurer had not asked for! My Son is a recently qualified sparky therefore it fell to him to carry out the inspection. Imagine my shock when he said the wiring has faults, for instance the main lighting circuit feed is 'rubber covered' that will have to be replaced. He then lifted some floor-boarding upstairs and immediately switched off the lighting circuit from the fuse box. He had never seen wiring in such a dangerous state of damage and general botch! he condemned the lot. Mice had chew3d away all of the insulation covering from the wiring which was draped over very dusty rafters, major botching of junction boxes and other horrors. He has now almost completed the rewire and said that he is amazed that we did not have an electrical fire. A lucky escape, the only reason we had the inspection was due to the new insurance companies insistence on seeing a valid Certificate of safety. Thanks new insurance company for being insistent!!
We have only owned our present house for eight years and have old invoices from nine years back from an electricians previous work and his statement that no more improvements are required-couldn't be bothered or what!

[N10k]

Lucky escape then, i hope you paid your son

[Simpo Two]

I knew a guy who lived in an olde worlde thatched cottage. One day I tried to ring him but his phone was engaged all day. 'I expect it's burnt down and the phone wires are fused together!' I quipped to a friend.

It had and they were; the remains made the local evening news.



And yes, it was an electrical fault.

[Jobbo]

I'm interested to know who you use (and used) for your insurance. When I bought my thatch two years ago I tried various brokers but all insurers seemed to want fire officer inspections, electrical inspections etc before they'd insure me. NFU Mutual turned out to insure enough thatches to have sensible conditions attached, and the premiums have stayed fairly steady into the third policy with them.

[crankedup]

Jobbo said:

I'm interested to know who you use (and used) for your insurance. When I bought my thatch two years ago I tried various brokers but all insurers seemed to want fire officer inspections, electrical inspections etc before they'd insure me. NFU Mutual turned out to insure enough thatches to have sensible conditions attached, and the premiums have stayed fairly steady into the third policy with them.

The broker I used is called 'Simply Thatch' www.simplythatchinsurance.com They have an office in Sudbury.

I was with NFU for years and they never asked me for a electrical 'Certificate of Conformity', nor evidence of my chimney being swept each year by a professional chimney sweep. However, when I last checked my policy detail I found both clauses and failure to comply could render the policy invalid or reduce the payout in the event of a claim. Have you read the small print on your documents?

[crankedup]

N10k said:

Lucky escape then, i hope you paid your son

Paid him, well sort of, helping him refurb' the flat he has just purchased, flippin' hard work!

[Jobbo]

crankedup said:

I was with NFU for years and they never asked me for a electrical 'Certificate of Conformity', nor evidence of my chimney being swept each year by a professional chimney sweep. However, when I last checked my policy detail I found both clauses and failure to comply could render the policy invalid or reduce the payout in the event of a claim. Have you read the small print on your documents?

I have read the small print - I'm in compliance with it, fortunately, but the important thing is that with NFU you can actually take the policy out there and then without needing to produce these documents before they'll issue cover.

Funnily enough I tried to get a quote from Simply Thatch but simply couldn't comply with their requirements because I hadn't bought the house at the time, so I didn't find out what sort of premiums they could achieve. Are they reasonable? NFU's premium for my house was in line with my previous tiled roof house insurance so I didn't bother trying to find a better quote at the time.

[crankedup]

d 20%

Jobbo said:

crankedup said:

I was with NFU for years and they never asked me for a electrical 'Certificate of Conformity', nor evidence of my chimney being swept each year by a professional chimney sweep. However, when I last checked my policy detail I found both clauses and failure to comply could render the policy invalid or reduce the payout in the event of a claim. Have you read the small print on your documents?

I have read the small print - I'm in compliance with it, fortunately, but the important thing is that with NFU you can actually take the policy out there and then without needing to produce these documents before they'll issue cover.

Funnily enough I tried to get a quote from Simply Thatch but simply couldn't comply with their requirements because I hadn't bought the house at the time, so I didn't find out what sort of premiums they could achieve. Are they reasonable? NFU's premium for my house was in line with my previous tiled roof house insurance so I didn't bother trying to find a better quote at the time.

Just goes to show how different policies can be from company to company. Are you saying that NFU do not require a 'Certificate of Conformity' for the electrical wiring in your house? If so I am amazed and frankly rather bemused. Simply Thatch offered my policy (like for like with NFU)for around 20%+ LESS. I did have to send Certificates as my opening post describes. Like car insurance perhaps a low premium in first year or two and then pile on the pounds thereafter?
Don't get me wrong, I think the NFU are a good company offering good insurance, but for me a 20% increase was completely unacceptable. Unfortunately when I asked if they wanted to reconsider the quote they declined and hence lost a customer to a rival.

Edited by crankedup on Monday 15th August 10:13

[Jobbo]

I would have to check the details as to what are conditions and what are recommendations, but the important point is that NFU will actually quote you and offer cover before you have access to the property and the chance to get certificates, sweep the chimneys etc.

They haven't stung me for that sort of increase fortunately (renewed at the beginning of August for the third year so pretty recently) so I didn't bother shopping around but I shall bear Simply Thatch in mind next year. I was expecting a bit more of a discount from NFU though because you get more off each year you remain with them.

[Pints]

crankedup said:

N10k said:

Lucky escape then, i hope you paid your son

Paid him, well sort of, helping him refurb' the flat he has just purchased, flippin' hard work!

And let's not forget the first 18-odd years.

I wasn't aware immediate family charged for favours such as these.

[crankedup]

Pints said:

crankedup said:

N10k said:

Lucky escape then, i hope you paid your son

Paid him, well sort of, helping him refurb' the flat he has just purchased, flippin' hard work!

And let's not forget the first 18-odd years.

I wasn't aware immediate family charged for favours such as these.

Well not paying him any cash! but helping him refurb' his flat, as you do!!
Coincidentally a article in the Mail on Sunday (supplement) tells us of a owners thatched cottage fire and how they have since come to terms. They were insured with the NFU and the claim was fully settled.

Edited by crankedup on Monday 15th August 14:40