Who doesn’t love a discount?
I know I sure do!
That’s why I love to shop discount racks, check out the discount shelf at the grocery store, or buy discounted tickets to my favorite amusement park.
Speaking of discounts, did you know that you might qualify for a discount on your homeowners insurance policy?
Insurance companies give discounted rates to customers that take extra efforts to eliminate or reduce their risks.
So what are those efforts? What can a homeowner do to reduce their risk of a significant homeowners claim?
To answer those questions, I put together this article.
As a long-term insurance agent, I’ll explain to you the features insurance companies reward with a discount. We’ll cover…
- Security Systems
- Smoke Detectors
- Fire Extinguishers
- Sprinkler Systems
- New Roofs
- Whole House Generators
1. Security System
Insurance companies often give customers discounts for installing a security system that connects directly to a monitoring station. An example of this would be ADT or Guardian Protection Services.
By subscribing to a security provider, if your home has a fire, your alarm company is notified right away and can quickly dispatch help to potentially reduce damage.
A security provider is also notified if someone breaks into your home. Because theft is covered in a homeowner policy, quickly stopping a home break-in can reduce the amount your insurance company will have to pay you for damage and stolen items.
2. Smoke Detectors
Smoke detectors save lives! In homes without smoke detectors, the death rate is twice as high as those with smoke detectors. These easily installed devices do save lives!
Smoke detectors also reduce severe injuries from house fires. If those in your home hear the alarm, they have a greater chance of exiting your home unharmed.
Insurance companies place a high priority on lessening the likelihood of physical injury. Often they offer discounts to homeowners who install smoke detectors.
And if your smoke detectors are interconnected (meaning that if one sounds off, they all sound off), you may receive an even more significant discount.
3. Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are another safety feature that can bring you a homeowners discount. You can purchase one of these safety devices at a hardware store or a big box store like Walmart or Lowes.
Ideally, it is good to have an extinguisher readily available on each floor of your home and especially in the kitchen.
Having a fire extinguisher can help you put out a fire before it becomes unmanageable and can give you extra time to escape a house fire.
4. Sprinkler System
The final fire safety feature that can help you receive a discount is a sprinkler system.
According to the NFPA, sprinkler systems control house fires 96% of the time. They also report that people are 81% less likely to die in a house fire, and property damage is reduced by about 70% in homes with a sprinkler system.
Because of their effectiveness at reducing loss of life and decreasing property damage, insurance companies give on average a 10% discount for this safety feature.
That’s significant! If you’re paying $1,200 on your homeowners insurance, you may save $120 or more.
5. New Roof
If you’ve ever had to put a new roof on your home, you know it’s very pricy! But a new roof can prevent a lot of damage to your home.
If you have a roof that is under two years old, you should qualify for a discount on your homeowners policy. Make sure to let your agent know if you make this upgrade.
6. Whole House Generator
Many homeowners don’t realize that you can get a homeowners discount if they have a whole house generator installed. Power outages can result in homeowners claims.
When you experience a power outage in the winter, your home could go for an extended period without heat. If it’s cold enough, this could lead to frozen pipes. When frozen pipes burst, you can experience damage to walls, ceilings, carpeting, and more.
In the summer, power outages can cause your refrigerator or deep freezer to stop working. Food spoilage can be a problem when this happens. And if you fill your freezer with locally sourced meat, you could lose hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
With a whole house generator, you won’t likely end up with these issues. Because of this, insurance companies often offer a discount if you have installed one.
The More Features…The Bigger The Discount!
When your insurance company quotes your policy, they will give you discounts for each of the safety or improvement features that you have at your home.
So, if you have smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, and a new roof, you can expect a discount on your premium for each of those.
Think you qualify for some discounts?
If you think that you could be receiving some of these discounts on your policy, you should get in touch with your agent right away. He can quickly tell you if your insurance company offers those discounts. And, he can help you amend your policy to include the discounts.
You may just get a small reimbursement from your insurance company for the discount on your policy!
Purchasing and installing smoke detectors and fire extinguishers is a relatively simple home project that you can do on your own. By taking the time and effort to do so, you can make your home a little safer and qualify for a homeowners insurance discount.
No matter when you make the above improvements to your home, even if it’s in the middle of your policy year, you can call your agent and have them update your policy to reflect your discounts.
At Baily Insurance Agency, we care about our customers. Not only do we want you to receive the best rate possible on your insurance premiums, we value your safety!
If you would like more information on making your home a safer place, please reach out to us! We have resources available to help you identify ways to improve your home’s safety and protect your loved ones.
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