Month: November 2022

As we approach December the temperature is now dropping significantly following a very mild October and November this year. 

If you already have breakdown cover, this time of year you can be kept waiting for a good couple of hours for help to arrive.

The most common call out in the winter between December and February related to a flat batteries and tyre issues.

How to avoid a winter breakdown

Prevention is better than cure, and some simple maintenance and common sense steps could keep you on the road without event this winter.

• Always MOT your car by the due date and service your vehicle as required for optimum safety and performance.
• The average lifespan of a car battery is 4 to 5 years. Check your car battery voltage with a voltmeter.
• Check your headlights and replace any bulbs now – including your fog lights.
• Make sure your windscreen washer is topped up and antifreeze is available.
• Keep an eye on your tyre pressure and tread in the winter months. If you live somewhere where it’s prone to snow and ice, it may even be worth considering purchasing a set of winter tyres. Tyres drop pressure in cold weather so keep checking the tyre levels to ensure they are safe.

Emergency winter car kit

Whether you choose to buy one, or make one yourself, it’s important to spend time getting the contents right.  Many of these items can be bought at a supermarket or online, and some you may already have at home.

Items you may benefit from having:

• De Icer and Windscreen Scraper
• Spare Phone Charger
• Bottle of water
• Hat and gloves
• Torch with spare batteries
• Warm blanket
• Hi vis Jacket
• Jumper Cables
• Hazard Sign
• First Aid Kit

Depending on your boot space you could consider a snow shovel, snacks for emergencies, jump starter power packs just in case another vehicle isn’t around and an umbrella.

How to charge your car battery

The most common cause of winter breakdowns is a fault with a battery.

A common cause of a flat battery is using your car for lots of smaller trips, leaving the battery little time to charge up in between journeys. This is particularly common if your battery is old.

Additionally leaving lights on when the engine is off is another main factor.

If this happens to you, there are some things you can do to jump-start your car.

1. Park the vehicle with the fully-charged battery facing the car with the flat one.
2. Turn both cars off and engage parking brakes.
3. Dead car: place red clamp on the (+) on the dead battery.
4. Helper car: place red clamp on the (+) on the battery on their car.
5. Helper car: place black clamp on the (-) on the battery of their car.
6. Dead car: place black clamp on an unpainted metal surface.
7. Wait 5 minutes.
8. Start the helper car first, then start the dead car.
9. If it doesn’t start immediately, wait another 10 minutes.
10. Once running, leave the leads attached for 10 minutes to charge the dead battery.
11. Remove clamps in reverse order.
12. Take the car for a 30-minute drive.

Remember – safety first!

• Call an expert if you are unsure, see signs of leaking, erosion, smoke or anything suspicious.
• Never touch the battery with anything metal.

If you are still unsuccessful, you will likely need breakdown cover. A lot of motor insurance policies offer breakdown cover for an additional fee.  For peace of mind, you can add this to your car insurance policy – if you haven’t arranged this already and would like to find out about adding this to your existing policy – give us a call on 01256 463090 or contact us here.

Underinsurance – Its important you are insuring the correct sums insured…

Your home is one of the most valuable assets you are likely to own

With raw material prices increasing and inflation on the rise, it’s important to acknowledge the very real cost of under insurance. Rebuild costs have increased over the last 18-24 months – brought about by a combination of Covid-19 and Brexit – rebuild costs have inevitably gone up.

 

Why are the sums insured so important?

 

The sums insureds are one of the main factors in how the premium is calculated. It is now more important than ever that you are not underinsured at the time off a loss.

What to do if you are unsure about your sums insured…

 

Buildings – The most accurate way to calculate this figure is to have a rebuild cost assessment carried out by a qualified RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors)/SCSI (Society of Chartered Surveyors) surveyor. We do not recommend the use of online calculators as they can provide a generalised figure that may not be appropriate for your specific property, particularly if it has any unusual features.

Contents – You may find it helpful to create an inventory of your contents, including contents in the garden and outbuildings which should be reviewed on a regular basis, particularly after purchasing new items. For jewellery or fine art, guidance from a specialist valuer should be sought (it may be a requirement of the policy that valuations are conducted on a regular basis – normally every 3 years as a minimum).

Buildings – Reminders/Pointers

• Building sum insured – Needs to be the full value cost of rebuilding the property by a professional third-party contractor. This includes rebuilding expenses such as architects & surveyor fees, clearing the site of debris, complying with local building regulations etc.
• Outbuildings, Walls, Fences, Driveways, Paths etc. also need to be included in the building sum insured.
• The policy wording will contain a definition for buildings which explains the things which need to be considered by you.
• Does the sum insured seem adequate for the size of property? Consider the number of bedrooms for example.
• NOTE: The rebuild cost of the home is not the same as the market value.

Contents – Reminders/Pointers

• As a general rule of thumb if you were to turn the property upside down anything that isn’t fixed would be classed as contents.
• For general contents and personal possessions, the figure must be the cost to replace as new.
• For valuables the figure must reflect the current market value.
• The policy wording will contain a definition for contents which explains the type of items which need to be considered.
• Does the general contents sum seem in proportion with valuables?

 

We’re here to help – If you need help, clarification or have any questions regarding the advice in this email, please contact us on 01256 463090