Will my home insurance cover my bicycle?
18 August 2020
Bicycles are unfortunately an easy target for thieves and a reported 290,000 thefts are carried out in England and Wales each year*. The good news is Ecclesiastical automatically includes cover as part of your home contents insurance.
If you are away from home, providing your bike is worth less than £750, our policy will also provide you with cover under the portable possessions section of your insurance. If your bike is worth more than £750, please make sure you let us know as we can specify it individually on your policy at a slight premium.
Top five tips to protect your bike
1. Make sure you use a good-quality lock and learn how to lock your bike properly.
2. Whilst at home, lock your bike to a permanent fixture in a secure shed, garage or outbuilding.
3. Whilst away from home, avoid leaving your bike in any isolated or dimly lit areas.
5. Always remove your accessories when your bike is parked, such as the lights and saddlebags.
Are the contents in my outbuildings covered?
Thieves definitely like an easy target; somewhere they can break in quickly and undetected such as garages, sheds and outbuildings.
You might be surprised by the overall value of furniture, tools and bikes stored in your outbuildings. Therefore understanding your cover and taking the appropriate precautions to prevent loss is very important.
You will be happy to learn that Ecclesiastical covers contents in outbuildings for up to £5,000 automatically as part of your home contents insurance, provided they are kept under lock and key. Your policy will also cover bicycles kept in any outbuilding up to the value of £750.
How to keep your outbuildings secure
- Make sure you fit good-quality locks and remember to lock up after you.
- Check that any door hinges are securely fitted and replace any loose screws.
- Consider installing motion-activated lights to eliminate those dark hiding places.
- Fit a security alarm to add another layer of protection.
- Think about laying gravel – it is almost impossible to walk on without making a loud noise.
