Frequently asked questions
What levels of home insurance do you provide?
IrishSavings offers buildings cover and contents cover. Customers can purchase these individually or combined as one policy.
Customers can choose between two levels of cover:
- IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance
- IrishSavings Home Insurance
For an additional premium, IrishSavings also offers Family Legal Protection and Home Emergency cover (both of these are included as standard with Premier Cover Home Insurance).
Who underwrites your home insurance product?
IrishSavings's Home Insurance is underwritten by National Insurance Company. Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England No.1179980. National Insurance Company is authorised by the National Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the National Regulation Authority.
Can I get immediate cover?
Yes, providing you have a credit or debit card or the facility to pay by Direct Debit we can issue you with immediate cover. This is subject to normal terms and conditions.
Do you offer home insurance cover in Northern Ireland?
IrishSavings Home Insurance and IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance are both available to customers in Northern Ireland. You can get a quote online or call us.
What is classed as "buildings"?
Buildings are classed as the structure of your property, including its walls, roofs, drives and patios, any outbuildings, sheds and garages and also all permanent fixtures and fittings within the home. Your buildings sum insured should represent the full cost of rebuilding your home and any outbuildings.
What is classed as "contents"?
Contents are all of the items you would be likely to take when moving out, including curtains, furniture, electrical appliances, valuables, clothing and personal effects.
How much buildings cover do I need?
Your buildings sum insured should represent the cost of rebuilding your home and any outbuildings. IrishSavings Home Insurance automatically provides buildings cover up to €1,000,000 or unlimited buildings cover under IrishSavings's Premier Cover Home Insurance, which means you'll never have to be worried about being underinsured.
How much contents cover do I need?
Your contents sum insured must represent the total current replacement cost of all such items in your home. IrishSavings Home Insurance automatically provides contents cover up to €50,000, or €100,000 contents cover under IrishSavings's Premier Cover Home Insurance. You can increase the amount of contents cover, both online and over the phone, however if you need more than €100,000 cover, you will need to call us to get a quote.
Can I insure my home if it is used for business?
IrishSavings will provide cover for your home and its contents if the business use is confined to routine paperwork, telephone calls, computer work and childminding. We will provide up to €5,000 cover for business equipment under a IrishSavings Home Insurance policy and up to €10,000 under a IrishSavings Premier Cover policy.
I am a landlord - will you provide cover?
We cannot provide cover to anyone who is letting out their property as specialist Landlord Insurance is required.
Are my possessions covered away from my home?
If you take out our Personal Possessions option your personal belongings will be covered against theft, loss or accidental damage outside your home in Britain and for up to 60 days abroad in any period of insurance. Just choose the level of cover you need (minimum €2,500). IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance automatically covers your personal belongings in Britain and abroad up to €5,000.
Is any cover for pedal cycles provided under my policy?
Yes, our contents cover automatically provides cover for your bicycle whilst it is in the home. For cover away from the home, bicycle cover is included under Personal Possessions cover as follows:
- IrishSavings's Home Insurance - Bicycles up to €500 will be covered when taking out Personal Possessions cover. Any bicycles worth in excess of €500 need to be specified separately. Please call us for a quote.
- IrishSavings's Premier Cover Home Insurance - Bicycles up to €1,000 are included as standard within the Personal Possessions cover which is automatically included. Any bicycles worth in excess of €1,000 need to be specified separately. Please call us for a quote.
What extra cover does Accidental Damage give me?
Accidental Damage is available for buildings and for contents and provides cover against things such as DIY mishaps. These can be added to a IrishSavings Home Insurance policy for an additional premium and come as standard on a IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance policy.
Can I cover student belongings?
Contents temporarily taken out of the main home by your children who are living in full-time education in the British Isles will be covered against loss or damage caused by an insured event (such as fire, theft or flooding) as standard. Cover is provided up to €5,000 under IrishSavings Home Insurance and up to €10,000 on IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance.
Can I insure a second home?
Yes, provided we already insure your main home. If you’d like a quote for a second home, please call us. Certain differences in cover may apply depending on the use of the second home. We are unable to provide a quote for the IrishSavings's Premier Cover Home Insurance product for second homes.
What is classed as a valuable?
The items we class as 'valuables' (jewellery, watches, furs, items or sets or collections of gold, silver or other precious metals, works of art, sets of stamps or coins or medals) are automatically covered for up to €2,000 each under the IrishSavings's Home Insurance policy or up to €4,000 each under the IrishSavings's Premier Cover Home Insurance policy, subject to an overall valuables limit, which will be 30% of your contents sum insured. Any individual valuables with a replacement value exceeding these limits will need to be specified on the policy separately. Items up to €5,000 can be specified online. If you need to specify items over €5,000 please call us for a quote.
Is anything in my garden covered?
The contents section of our policy provides cover for plants in your garden, theft from outbuildings and contents in the open. Limits vary depending on the product you have chosen.
Are any fees charged as part of my policy?
Details of all fees and excesses applicable to your policy can be found on your schedule.
I would like to protect my NCD - can I do this?
You can protect the NCD you have built up after 5 years on a IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance policy. This feature is not available on IrishSavings Home Insurance.
How can I pay for my home insurance?
You can pay for your home insurance by credit or debit card or by monthly or annual direct debit. If you wish to pay for your policy on an annual basis payment will be taken on the date you purchase the policy, not the cover start date.
What does Family Legal Protection cover me for?
Up to €100,000 cover is provided for legal costs to pursue claims such as personal injury, employment disputes, contract disputes and property disputes.
What helplines are available to me?
Our legal helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and allows you to speak to a qualified legal advisor who can give you free confidential advice.
In the event of a home emergency you can call our 24 hour home emergency helpline to access advice, even if you do not have Home Emergency cover.
Why do I need to give you my Nectar card number?
Many of our promotional offers are exclusive to Nectar card holders. You will need to provide your Nectar card number at point of purchase to qualify for these customer offers; we cannot add or change a wrong number afterwards. The Nectar card number you provide must be in the policyholder's name.
When will I get my points?
At the end of each month, we total up the number of points you have earned and pay a bonus into your Nectar account equal to the total points for the month. This usually arrives by the 10th of the following month. If you do not receive your Nectar points please let us know. Remember you can accumulate more points by taking out other IrishSavings offers that take part in the double Nectar point scheme.
How do I amend my home insurance policy?
To make any amendments to your policy, please contact us.
What happens if I move house?
You will need to call us to arrange cover for your new property.
What happens if I make a change to my house?
If you are renovating or extending your house you must make sure that the level of cover you have in place is adequate to cover you. Please call us to discuss your cover before you start work on your property.
How do I renew my home insurance policy?
You will receive your renewal notice 3 – 4 weeks before your renewal date. It will contain all your premium information and a breakdown of your cover.
- Automatic Renewal:
If your policy is to be renewed automatically you will receive continuous cover. All you need to check is that the information on the renewal notice is still accurate. There is no need for you to contact us unless you need to make an amendment to your renewal. - Manual Renewal:
If your policy is not on automatic renewal you will be informed of this on your renewal letter. In order to renew your policy you should contact us on the telephone number provided before your renewal date.
How do I cancel my home insurance policy?
If you would like to cancel the policy you have with us please call us. If you cancel your policy before it is due to start we will return any premium you have paid in full. If you cancel your policy within 14 days of the day it is due to start or of the day on which you receive your documents (whichever is later) we will return any premium you have paid less an administration fee of up to €26.50 (inclusive of Insurance Premium Tax where applicable), providing you have not made any claims during that time. If you cancel your policy after that 14 day period we will return any unused premium less an administration fee of up to €26.50 (inclusive of Insurance Premium Tax where applicable), providing you have not made a claim during the current period of insurance.
If I need to make a claim what do I do?
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer loss or damage to your property and / or its contents, you should report the incident to us as soon as reasonably possible. To report a claim, please contact us.
When reporting a claim please ensure that you have the information to hand:
- Your policy number
- List of items that have been damaged, including the original cost
What happens if my home is uninhabitable during the period of repair?
We will provide alternative accommodation for you over this period. The levels of cover available depend on the product you choose:
- IrishSavings Home Insurance provides up to €25,000 under buildings and up to €15,000 under contents.
- IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance provides up to €50,000 under buildings and up to €30,000 under contents.
Are repairs guaranteed?
Repairs carried out by our approved repairer network are guaranteed for 12 months.
Can I buy Home Emergency cover without home insurance?
No. Home Emergency cover must be purchased at the same time as a IrishSavings Home Insurance policy. IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance includes Home Emergency cover as standard.
Can I add Home Emergency cover to my policy at any time?
Yes, you can add Home Emergency Cover to a IrishSavings Home Insurance policy at any time by calling us. Home Emergency Cover is included as standard on a IrishSavings Premier Cover Home Insurance policy.