With the holiday season fast approaching and many South Africans preparing for holidays away from home, insurance can be an easy item to leave off the holiday check-list. According to Hollard Insurance, this is an important time to ensure policies have the right cover for home, luggage, car, and life insurance.
Willem Smith, Head of Personal Lines at Hollard says, “There are a few simple tips to remember when getting ready to go on holiday which will assist in keeping your home and valuables safe while you are away. It’s also a good idea to have your broker or insurer’s telephone number and your policy number handy in case of an unfortunate event.”
Tips while away:
Disconnect all your non-essential appliances: From an insurance perspective, disconnecting appliances reduces the chances of a fire caused by unexpected power surges. It makes sense from a financial perspective too – even when not in use, devices such as computers, VCRs, microwaves, modems, satellite decoders (DStv) consume energy. According to Eskom, appliances left on standby mode use up to 15% of the electricity that they would usually use when in operation. This is not a pleasant sight when adding up your monthly expenses.
Turn off your main water supply: Returning home from a holiday to find a dripping tap and flooded home can cause a sinking feeling. In recent weeks, much emphasis has been placed on South Africa’s current water situation, with Minister of Water Affairs, Nomvula Mokonyane, warning of potential “water-shedding”. People run the risk of opening a tap during water supply interruptions and neglecting to close it. Turning off your main water supply will not only reduce your monthly water bill, but it will mitigate the risk of other water related damages which may occur while you’re away.
Invest in a light-switch timer: Crime statistics released by the South African Police Service (SAPS) have shown an increase in property related crimes over the last three years. The holiday season is a peak period for home burglaries as houses are often left unattended. To reduce the chances of a burglary while you’re away, invest in a light-switch timer which will schedule certain lights to switch on at predetermined times. Alternatively, leave your house keys with trusted family or friends to occasionally turn on certain lights at different times.
Tips while on holiday
Travel light. Only pack the essentials: This sounds simple and obvious enough, but can be difficult in practice because you want to be prepared for any eventuality when travelling on holiday. However, travelling with fewer items reduces the chances of losing valuable possessions. And if you’re flying, packing in such a way that your items can become hand luggage will not only save you time on arrival, but will also reduce the risk of theft between baggage drop, plane and carousel.
Give your car a check-up: If you are travelling by road, a few basic checks are of utmost importance. Ensure that your tyres have sufficient pressure and that you have a spare wheel and all the tools needed in the event of a breakdown. Ensure that all the essentials such as fuel, water and oil are at a sufficient level and that your car is fully insured. Including road-side assist as part of your motor insurance (and having the contact number handy) will help put your mind at ease on those long journeys.
Keep safety top of mind: Sometimes being in a different town, city or even country can leave you with a false sense of security, especially when you are in holiday mode. Always be aware of your surroundings and keep valuable items like cameras, phones and wallets close to you at all times. Tourists can be easy pickings for opportunistic criminals. Make sure these items are covered by your policy.
Smith says, “Adding insurance to the holiday check list will help you get ready for that well-deserved time off and stop you from worrying about your most valued possessions. However it is important to have the correct policies in place and regularly update them throughout the year.”
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