Yes. Many home and contents insurers will cover loss or damage caused by a power outage. Generally, you'll find that it's included under the contents insurance part of your policy and covers you for situations like:
There are some insurers who might require additional criteria in order for your claim to be successful. For instance,
| Response | |
|---|---|
| Once a year | 31.87% |
| I never compare or switch | 27.31% |
| Once every 3+ yrs | 21.85% |
| Every 2 yrs | 17.3% |
| More than once a year | 1.67% |
Food spoilage insurance covers you for loss of or spoilage to frozen or refrigerated food, caused by an insured event such as your freezer accidentally breaking, a power outage or in some cases, electrical motor damage. Food spoilage cover is generally included in the contents section of your home and contents insurance policy because that's the part of your cover that protects the items and belongings kept at your home.
You'll need a policy that includes contents cover, so you can choose from either;
A contents insurance policy can help you cover the cost of lost, damaged or spoiled food if your fridge blows out. Contents insurance is usually cheaper than buying a complete home and contents insurance policy and it can also cover the other belongings you keep at home too.
A normal home and contents insurance policy can also cover the cost of food spoilage if something goes wrong with your fridge or freezer. This could be a good option if you want to play it safe and get cover for everything, your home and the stuff you keep inside.
It's similar across most home insurers, however some make mentions of how they cover you in a power outage, and if medications are included.
We looked at the product disclosure statements (PDS) of 3 Australian insurers to show you how it can differ.
| Brand | Is this benefit included? | What the PDS says | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Included | We'll cover the cost of replacing frozen foods that are damaged at your home if caused by: • your freezer accidentally breaking down, An insured event does not have to occur to claim this additional benefit. | Up to $2,000 |
 | Included | We will pay up to $500 for food spoilage if we have accepted a claim for loss or damage from an insured event at the insured address. You don't have to pay an excess if you claim for spoiled food only. | Up to $500 |
 | Optional extra | If you have contents cover then we will pay the reasonable costs to replace any refrigerated/frozen food or refrigerated prescription medicines that are spoiled as a result of:
The most we will pay under this additional cover is $500 per claim. No excess applies when you claim under this additional cover only. | Up to $500 |
Food spoilage insurance is a really handy benefit to have included with home insurance. Here are a few reasons why:
Since we've already seen fires, storms and strong winds damage power lines and cause outages for thousands of households across Australia in 2020, particularly in bushfire-affected towns, it's wise to get food spoilage insurance included in your home insurance policy. It can reimburse you for the fridge full of food you could lose if something like a power outage or electricity supply failure occurs.
With global warming affecting Australia more severely than other countries, the chances of power outages and blackouts happening again are increasingly likely. You might not need it, but it's covered by most home insurance policies, so is it really worth the risk?
There are some situations where you might not be covered for food spoilage. These include loss:
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