Named Perils

Named perils are specific occurrences listed in your policy that could lead to damages or losses to your stuff—if any of these were to ruin something you own, your cover could kick in to help you pay for it.

Now that we’ve given you a TL;DR named perils definition, let’s dive a bit deeper into how named perils work and what it all means for your insurance policy.

What are named perils?

Zooming out a bit, insurance is there to protect you and your stuff from sudden, unexpected events. But what’s defined as sudden and unexpected exactly?

That’s where named perils come in.

Named perils are a list of 14 bad things that could cause damage or losses to your stuff explicitly listed out in your policy as qualifying for cover. They apply to direct, physical loss or damages so, for example, if a fire broke out (a named peril) ruining your couch, TV, and computer, you could file a claim and your insurer could financially help you out.

The 14 named perils covered in insurance

If the following insurable perils befall anything you own (your personal property), you’ll be able to file a claim and receive compensation from your insurer, minus your excess, if it’s approved.

14 Named Perils:

1. Fire 
2. Lightening 
3. Smoke
4. Explosion
5. Burglary
6. Robbery
7. Vandalism
8. Civil Unrest
9. Windstorm
10. Hail 
11. Earthquakes
12. Floodings
13. Collision by vehicles, aircraft, or falling objects (e.g. trees)
14. Water damage caused by accidental leaks from fixed water systems, burst or blocked pipes, and appliances connected to water pipes (e.g. your washing machine).

What isn’t covered under named perils?

Notably, named perils don’t cover losses or damages that could have been prevented. 

For example: Say you’ve had the same microwave for 15 years. It doesn’t really heat stuff up anymore, but hey, it still turns on, and you’re on a tight budget living in central London and all. If that microwave short circuited and caused a fire destroying your stuff, your insurance wouldn’t necessarily cover the losses. 

Why’s that?

This would go under the category of situations that could have been avoided with proper maintenance and care. Now, if it was a brand new microwave and the same thing happened, you’d probably be covered, since it’d definitely fit the parameters of “sudden and accidental.”

You might have also noticed that ‘Theft’ isn’t on this list, but burglary and robbery are. That’s because insurance defines burglary as something that takes place in your home and theft could happen anywhere. If you want to cover yourself for theft outside your home, you’ll need to purchase our, Theft and Loss cover add-on. So, if your bag is stolen on the Tube, you won’t be able to rely on your contents insurance—unless you’ve purchased this add-on. 

Learn about more add-ons you can purchase to pimp your policy.