Importance of Safe Electrics in Thatched Properties
Our seventh thatch insurance article covering the important topic of electrics.
External sparks and embers are a fire risk to thatch, but remember that electrical issues are as well. It is well known that a thatched roof fire is very hard to extinguish so reducing all risks, including electrical is paramount.
Electrical safety is therefore an issue which insurers take very seriously.
Insurers Points on Electrics and Thatch
Here are some brilliant contributions on the subject of Thatch and Electrics from some of our specialist Thatch Insurance Associates. It helps us to understand more about this topic, how electrical risks are reduced and why insurers have certain requirements in order to provide specialist cover.
Lloyd & Whyte Heritage
Electrical faults are the primary cause of accidental fires in UK homes with over 20,000 incidents reported each year.
Arranging for an up-to-date Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is often requirement for thatched property insurance, and many insurers now request an EICR for non-thatched listed properties.
The recommended precautions in an EICR may seem strict, but electrical faults are the second largest cause of fires in thatched homes. They also ensure your thatch property insurance fully covers you, because if your electrical report doesn’t meet certain criteria, you could face difficulties at the time of a claim.
The Home Insurer
Old, worn or badly wired electrics can cause fires in thatch properties. That’s why most insurers will require a 5-year inspection of electrics and a “Satisfactory” Electrical Installation Certificate to minimise risk of electrical fire. Some insurers may accept a 10-year inspection upon referral. Without a Satisfactory in date certificate, insurance is likely to be declined or cancelled.
The inspection must be carried out by a competent electrician, normally affiliated to the NICEIC/NAPIT or similar body. If you don’t have a satisfactory certificate, insurers can give up to 60 days for it to be done and any issues rectified.
Thatch Cover
An Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) is like an MOT for your electrics, identifying any dangerous, potentially dangerous, or non-compliant issues. All thatch insurers require a valid EICR to be in place, although some only ask for this at claim stage. That’s the worst time to find out the documentation isn’t acceptable, resulting in a fire related claim being excluded. Policies specify accepted trade bodies, so using a NICEIC “Approved Contractor” is recommended. If no Code 1 or 2 faults are found, the report is “satisfactory.” Insurers vary on EICR acceptance, so speak to a good broker for best advice.
Thatch Assist
Electrical faults commonly cause thatch fires; insurers require a ‘Satisfactory’ Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) typically every 5 years – what does ‘satisfactory’ mean?
This relates to the reports ‘Observation Codes’:
- C1: Danger Present. Immediate risk of injury, urgent rectification required
- C2: Potentially Dangerous. Urgent action needed to prevent future danger.
- C3: Improvement Recommended. Not immediately dangerous, upgrading would enhance safety/compliance.
- FI: Further Investigation Required. Electrician couldn’t fully assess something, requiring more checks.
A report containing C1, C2, or FI codes is ‘Unsatisfactory’ and insurers will require immediate notification and remedial works completed asap. C3’s alone result in a ‘Satisfactory’ report.
Brown & Brown
Electrical checks normally occur every 10 years, though they can happen sooner if they are mentioned on an electrical report. Any electrician doing the inspection must be approved by, or registered with, one of the following companies:
- NICEIC
- ELECSA
- NAPIT
- ECA
- STROMA
Electrical work is categorised under the following codes:
- Code 1 – immediate danger
- Code 2 – potential danger
- Code 3 – improvement recommended
Electrical items are also often listed as ‘FI’, which stands for Further Investigation. Normally, code 1s and 2s need to be handled alongside ‘Further Investigation’ items, though code 3 work may not need to be done alongside these.
Saffron Insurance
Electricity is the most common cause of accidental fires in homes in the UK, according to the Association of British Insurers.
In thatch properties in particular, electrical faults are the second largest cause of fire. That’s a key reason thatch property insurance requires an up-to-date Electrical Installation Condition Report (EICR) to ensure that your electrics are safe. In fact, EICR reports have been found to significantly reduce thatched property fires.
Most insurers will accept EICRs from the following trade bodies (but make sure to always check with your insurer which bodies they accept before proceeding with an EICR):
- NICEIC
- NAPIT
- BSI
- ECA
- Stroma
Acknowledging Contributions to this Article
The Thatch Advice Centre takes every opportunity to promote fire safety messages and the insurance companies have ways to enforce it via their insurance stipulations. Working together is our motto so evidently this article on electrics and insurance made sense.
We really appreciate the varied, useful and clear information provided to us by our Thatch Directory Insurance Associates on this important topic of electrics in thatch. Their explanations will hugely help in clarifying the reasons why insurers require electrical reports. Surely, it is ultimately to improve safety, reduce fire risks and stop the need for increasing premiums which must be a win win for everyone.
