Everything in my fridge and freezer had to go in the bin due to the power outage…. Can I claim this on insurance?
Maybe!
It depends on your policy, usually you can claim these costs without an excess, but if you’ve only lost a few things it may not be worth your time putting together a claim.
If you had a full fridge/freezer and chest freezer though…. That’s definitely worth looking into and these are the typical steps you should take:
Itemise everything either in notes on your phone, email a list to yourself if you have internet access or good old pen & paper will do the job.
Take some photos to provide as “proof of loss” before throwing things away
You might need to provide a letter from your power supplier to confirm the length of the outage - this is really easy to do from their website
Re-purchase the items you needed to replace and keep your receipt - maybe take a photo of this straight away so that you don't lose it
Include your EFT details when submitting your claim for a quick & easy claims settlement
This is the standard process with the insurers we work with but it will vary from insurer to insurer and policy to policy. The policies that we sell are have either unlimited or very high limits (eg. $2,500 for an Allianz Farm Pack) so claims will need to be assessed like any other claim.
If your insurer says an excess is applicable I’d double check the policy wording as sometimes inexperienced call centre staff can give you the wrong advice.
If you’ve lost a deep freezer worth of lamb etc you should be able to include an estimate of the replacement value rather than repurchasing.
Lastly, if you don’t have insurance and can’t afford to restock please don’t hesitate to contact your local food bank, charity or church, there are so many resources available for people in need and you do not need to struggle through what’s already an incredibly challenging time.
To make a claim on your policy please contact us on 03 4411 2704 or email hello@macedonrangesinsurance.com.au
Link to The Kindness Collective Kyneton Food Bank
