As people have spent more time in their homes during lockdown, the need to feel secure and safe has never felt more important. By identifying potential leaks before they get worse, a LeakBot device not only keeps homes dry, it reduces the likelihood of damage caused by leaks. Now free for all buildings cover on Hiscox 606 Home Insurance customers, this tiny device also provides the perfect opportunity for brokers to pick up the phone to clients.
With homes becoming schools, playgrounds and offices during lockdown, a leak is something to be avoided at all costs, especially when vacating the property isn’t an option. A LeakBot is a smart device that clips onto the main water pipe and alerts users of the earliest signs of a leak via an app, and has received a UK-wide rating of 4.8/5 on TrustPilot. It’s also now available for free to all customers with buildings cover on Hiscox 606 Home Insurance.
By alerting the user to the very early stages of a leak, they are provided with information that can help them to diagnose and fix the problem themselves, via the LeakBot app, without having to call an engineer into the home. In fact, of the Hiscox customers already using the device, some 40% managed to resolve the leak themselves with the help of the app.
Where a slightly more experienced pair of hands is needed, a LeakBot engineer comes to the home, free of charge. However, during the pandemic, to encourage social distancing, these visits can now take place via a video call, also free of charge. “On the call they walk you round your house and help you try and identify the places where they see issues, and help you try and self-diagnose it,” explains Phil Thorn, Head of Propositions at Hiscox UK.
Crucially, with the leak or multiple leaks diagnosed and fixed by the customer or an engineer at such an early stage, the chances of a burst pipe causing serious disruption and forcing the occupier to leave their home are reduced.
In your own time
The fact that the LeakBot device is freely available to all customers with buildings cover on Hiscox 606 Home Insurance gives brokers the perfect opportunity to check in with their clients. “Brokers are loving it, not just because it’s a free device, but also because it’s a great excuse to contact customers,” says Phil. “It’s a chance to pick up the phone and check in on their other policies, and customers have the time at the moment.”
From a fresh lick of paint in the bedroom to trimming back the garden hedge, many home owners have been turning their hands to DIY projects during lockdown. Installing a LeakBot would therefore seem a simple step. “At the moment I think there’s a much larger percentage of people who, with all this extra time and a lack of things to do, are improving their homes. So why not think about the security and safety of your home?” says Phil. “It’s a free device you can get through your policy, so why not take 10 minutes and set it up? There’s nothing to lose.”