We’ve checked out Direct Line’s cover options for home insurance.
Direct Line’s home insurance comes in three levels to suit all budgets and needs, including SELECT Premier Insurance – its highest level of cover. Its building insurance and contents insurance is available separately or combined. Policies can be upgraded with optional extras such as legal protection cover, accidental damage and home emergency cover. Direct Line also offers customers a discount of up to 35% for buying home insurance online. Here’s what else we think you should know.
British Gas Home Insurance
Who is Direct Line?
Direct Line offers a wide range of financial products including home, car, travel and pet insurance. The Direct Line Group owns several well-known brands, including Churchill (of nodding-dog fame).
Established in 1985, Direct Line was one of the first direct car insurers in the UK. Today, it has more than 10 million customers.
What are Direct Line’s cover options?
Direct Line offers three different types of home insurance. These are Home Insurance, Home Insurance Plus and SELECT Premier.
All three of these options include buildings and contents insurance; however, buildings insurance and contents insurance can also be bought separately or combined as needed.
What is covered under my policy?
| Cover features | Home Insurance | Home Insurance Plus | SELECT Premier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings sum insured | £1 million | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Contents sum insured | £50,000 | £100,000 | Unlimited |
| Trace and access of leaks | £5,000 | £10,000 | £15,000 |
| Alternative accommodation | £40,000 | £80,000 | Unlimited up to three years |
| Matching sets and suites | x | ✓ | ✓ |
| Personal possessions | x | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accidental damage cover | x | ✓ | ✓ |
| Home emergency cover | x | ✓ | Up to £1,500 |
| Family legal protection cover | x | ✓ | ✓ |
Optional extras
Direct Line offers a range of additional protection to bolt onto your home insurance policy, including:
- Accidental damage cover
- Personal possessions cover
- Home emergency cover
- Family legal protection cover
What is my excess?
Your insurance excess is the amount of money you will need to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount. A compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your van and your driving experience.
A voluntary excess is on top and is normally set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess, which should lower your premium.
You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.
How much is this going to cost me?
There are a number of factors that can affect the cost of your Direct Line home insurance premium, including:
- The cover option you choose. Enhancing your buildings, contents and combined cover policies with optional extras will provide more features and broader cover than Direct Line’s standard cover options, which will likely be reflected in the price.
- Your sum insured. The greater the amount you wish to insure your home or contents for, the more you can expect to pay for cover.
- Your home. The age of your home and the materials from which it is constructed can influence its ability to withstand damage.
- Where your home is located. Certain risks, for example storm and theft, are more prevalent in certain areas, and insurers will take this into consideration when calculating your premiums.
- Security. Security measures such as an alarm system and deadbolts can act as a deterrent to thieves and therefore reduce the cost of your cover.
What is the claims process for Direct Line?
You should call the 24-hour Direct Line claims line on 0345 878 5081 in an emergency. For general home insurance claims, you can call 0345 246 8412. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am-8pm and Saturday 9am-5pm.
If you are the policyholder or named within the policy document, you will also have the opportunity to make a claim online via the Direct Line website.
Direct Line recommends you have the following information to hand when making a claim:
- Your policy details and personal contact details
- The date of the incident
- Details such as the cause of the incident
- The value of any lost or damaged items being claimed for
- Names and addresses of any other people involved or responsible for the incident, including details of injuries
It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.
Direct Line pros and cons
Pros
- Direct Line’s home insurance comes in three levels to suit different budgets
- Home insurance policies can be enhanced with extra protection
- Claims can be made 24/7 or online
Cons
- You will have to pay a cancellation fee in order to terminate your policy after the 14-day cooling off period
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