Home Owners Insurance In The Uk

Warning over rise in 'unethical' free solar PV offers

The warning, from PTS one of the UK’s leading plumbing and heating merchants, is a result of increasing concerns over unscrupulous tactics being used by some companies offering free solar panels.

Typically, salesmen will make the homeowner the offer of free panels and installation, in return for the proceeds from the feed-in tariff. This type of offer is becoming more common with many reputable companies providing a similar service which includes free maintenance throughout the whole contract and installation by an MCS accredited installer. However, there are a growing number of new companies which don’t offer such customer protection and are targeting older, more vulnerable homeowners.

Ian Stares, product group manager for renewable technologies at PTS, says the practice of these un-reputable companies needs careful scrutiny and could be considered as unethical. “We have been made aware of a number of cases where consumers, in particular elderly pensioners concerned about rising energy bills have been targeted by new companies with what seems, on the surface, to be an attractive offer. In reality the company pockets most of the financial upside while the customer is left with unanswered questions about maintenance and the effect of the panels on the resale value of the home and potentially increased insurance costs.”

He continued: “In one case, the salesman was proposing to site 21 solar panels on a single property which would still have only covered approximately three quarters of the property’s electricity consumption. Our suspicion is that the company was proposing to use poor quality solar PV panels which were not capable of generating enough kilowatt hours of electricity to power both the property and generate enough electricity to sell back to the National Grid.”

Mr Stares also believes that the fine print in some contracts may give rise to further concerns. “The detail in many of these contracts includes a clause stipulating that a ‘small fee’ will be payable to the company if the property is ever sold, but the exact amount is never made clear. What’s more, in cases where a large number of solar PV panels are being specified, we have concerns that no account is being taken of the structural weight capacity of the roof or the homeowner’s potential insurance liability if any damage to the roof occurs.

Getting a Handle on Your HomeOwners Insurance @ boshart.co.uk

Homeowners insurance coverage insures you against financial losses resulting from theft or damage to your property. Other buildings on your property and your personal belongings are also usually covered. A homeowners policy also includes liability insurance if you are legally responsible for bringing about injury to others or damage to their property.

Illinois homeowners insurance can be purchased from established insurance agencies such as the Illinois Insurance Center.

Virtually all lending institutions make homeowners insurance mandatory. It is possible to buy separate coverage for theft, liability and other specific types of perils but combination plans including these coverages are more common.

Basic Homeowners Insurance Coverages

Liability Coverage – Pays for bodily injury to another person or property damage that you or some other member of your household are found to be legally responsible for. Sometimes it will also cover the cost of a lawyer to defend you if you need one.

Medical Payments Coverage – This type of coverage will pay for injury to another person who is accidentally injured on your property. This also covers situations where another person is injured by you or others in your family. This coverage will cover up to the maximum amount of medical payments coverage you contracted for. This coverage applies regardless of who caused the accident or injury. It does not cover injuries to yourself or to your family members who live with you.

Property Coverage – Covers physical damage to your home, personal property, and detached buildings on your property including garages and utility sheds. Property coverage is the most complex part of your policy, and this component should be carefully defined when you take out your policy.

In Illinois, for additional information about Illinois homeowners insurance contact the Illinois Insurance Center, one of the Midwest’s fastest growing and most progressive insurance agencies.

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