February, 2022 | Boizelle Insurance Partnership

5 Causes of Property Damage and How to Prevent Them

A destructive storm comes through your town, wrecking havoc every which way it can. Everything from flooding to fallen down trees, there is no way we can prevent these events from happening. While this is true, it is possible to minimize the damage to your home if you take certain preventative measures ahead of time.

Obviously, having the proper amount of home insurance coverage will help you cover the financial burden of having to repair or replace something that has been damaged from a storm. But, there are some simple steps you can take to protect your home from further damage, protecting your bank account at the time.

Wind

Gusts of wind have the ability to knock over outdoor furniture or pick up tiny branches that could potentially scratch your car. Strong winds can cause trees to fall on your house, resulting in a costly home insurance claim. To prevent events like this from happening, pay attention to weather forecasts and consider moving furniture to covered areas around your home. Pick up loose branches in or around your yard or in your driveway.

Nonweather-Related Water

Conduct regular inspections of your dishwasher, washing machine, and toilets inside your home as they are the most common sources of leaks and water damage inside homes. Check your hoses for wear and replace it if needed. If you plan to be away from your home for any considerable amount of time, think about shutting off your main water valve to give yourself peace of mind. No one wants to worry about potential water disasters while they’re on vacation.

Hail

As stated before, anticipated bad weather and taking necessary preventative measures ahead of time is the best way to protect your home from damage. While we can’t control how hail moves or where it strikes, we can move our valuables out of harms way. For example, If you have a garage, move your car inside before the bad weather comes. That way, you won’t have to worry about dents, dings, or scratches caused by hail or other objects flying around.

Weather-Related Water

Making sure that your roof is in prime condition is an excellent way to make sure your home will be protected from torrential downpours. If you live in an area that tends to have periods of heavy snow, make sure to remove the snow accumulation from your roof before it melts and leaks into your house. Your gutters should always be clean, too.

Theft

When it comes to your protecting your car, keeping it inside your garage may be your best option to prevent thefts from occurring. If that is not an option for you, be sure to remove any valuables from your car before going inside your home. You can also lock them away. It’s best to keep anything valuable out of plain sight. In addition, installing home security systems, motion detectors, alarms, and cameras may help deter thieves from entering your home. Finally, keep your windows and doors locked.

Things You Should Never Leave Inside Your Car

Do you enjoy the feeling of sitting in a clean car? Keeping your car clean and orderly will not only decrease stress and anxiety; it will keep your safer behind the wheel by minimizing potential distractions.

Water Bottles

Many water bottles of made from plastic. Plastics contain BPA, a harmful chemical that can potentially leak into the water. This chemical is believed to cause cancer.

Medication

Many medications are meant to be stored at room temperature. When exposed to hot temperatures for extended periods of time, a drug’s potency may be greatly diminished, thus effecting its ability to perform its intended purpose.

Sunscreen

Sunscreen can potentially lose its effectiveness if left exposed to high temperatures for a long time. Hot temperatures can also cause the bottle containing the sunscreen to expand and eventually explode, creating a mess no one wants to clean up.

Glasses

Leaving your glasses on the dashboard is a surefire way to make them too hot to handle or wear. Additionally, sunrays can alter the frames of your glasses.

Personal Belongings

Items such as your wallet, cell phone, keys, and passport are valuable and are prime targets for potential thieves. Never leave these items in your car, especially in plain sight. Take them with you or leave them at home.

Lighters

Lighters already present a potential fire hazard when you use them. When left exposed to nature’s elements, you could be looking at an extremely dangerous and costly situation. Don’t leave flammable liquids inside your car.

Aerosol Cans

Aerosol cans have the ability to combust when exposed to extreme temperatures for long periods of time. This goes for both hot and cold temperatures. To be safe, leave your personal hygiene products in your bathroom at home.

Am I Really Saving Money If I Buy a Hybrid?

Are you considering buying a hybrid vehicle? Perhaps you’re tired of having to stop by the gas station every few weeks to fill up. Or perhaps you’re frustrated with the increases in gas prices at the fuel pump. Or maybe you think that by buying a hybrid now, you’ll save more money in the long run because gas prices are high. Whatever your reasoning, you’re set on buying a hybrid vehicle. But, is it really worth it?

Insurance companies know that people who are buying hybrids are saving more on fuel and tend to cover more distance than drivers of gas cars. So, naturally, those fuel savings will be eaten up by higher insurance premiums.

Typically, an insurance company is going to charge more to insure a hybrid vs. a gas-powered car because it costs more to manufacture a hybrid. The average damage claim for a hybrid is significantly higher than that of a gas-powered car. Therefore, drivers who use hybrid vehicles to get around are deemed a higher risk. Driving behavior is another factor that insurance companies factor in. For example, drivers who use hybrids are more likely to drive longer distances during peak hours of traffic. The main motivation they have is to save fuel and money during rush hour. With heavier traffic comes to more likely possibility of a collision with another vehicle.

There are other reasons why it will cost you more to insure your hybrid instead of a gas car.

• More mileage = more $
• Expensive repair costs due to more costly car parts and the need for a specialist to administer repairs. Even aftermarket parts are expensive due to low demand.
• Fewer hybrids on the road translates to needing more specialized hands to perform repairs. Low supply and high demand is going to mean higher costs.
• Materials used for construction of small hybrid city cars are fragile than that of SUVs.
• Because hybrids are less noisy, drivers are a higher risk of accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists.

You may ask, “Are hybrid cars more safe to drive or are they more dangerous?” Hybrid cars tend to be safer to drive. But, the costs to repair them are so much higher. If you are driving a hybrid car, you are paying more for the safety it provides you. Hybrid safety records indicate they perform better than gas cars with regard to incidents involving higher speeds.

At the end of the day, you’re going to be paying more if you drive a hybrid vehicle instead of a gas car. Everyone’s circumstances are different, so think about what is best for you before making a decision on what kind of car to buy.

Looking For Ways to Reduce the Cost of Your Auto Insurance?

We cannot know precisely what the future holds for us. That’s why it’s important to do everything we can to anticipate and prepare for the unexpected. It’s the only way to ensure our own financial security. One way to do this is by carrying enough coverage on your auto insurance policy. While having the proper amount of protection is necessary, have you ever pondered ways to reduce the costs of your insurance? There are ways you can save.

Take Advantage of offered discounts

Depending on what insurance carrier you have, you may be offered certain discounts on your auto insurance. For example, Erie Insurance offers a number of possible discounts you could consider.

Multi-policy Discount

Erie offers a number of different insurance policies. Whether you have a home policy with Erie or an auto policy, combining your coverages may make you eligible for a discount. If you have a current home insurance policy with Erie and add auto insurance, for example, you may see your costs reduced. Erie offers discounts that range from 16%-25%, depending on the state in which you live.

Other Ways to Save

If you child’s school grades are a B average or higher, or if they rank in the top 20% of their class, you may be eligible for a good student discount. This discount generally lasts until the driver reaches the age of 25.

Being a safe driver can help reduce your insurance costs. Think about it this way; before an insurance company takes on a new client, they usually review their driving record. If you are deemed a safe driver with no claims on your auto insurance, you will likely be quoted with a much lower rate than someone who has a history of multiple claims. This is because the insurance company sees that the driver with more claims is more of a risk to insure. The higher the risk, the more expensive the cost. The lower the risk, the lower the cost. Make sense?

Take a Defensive Driving Course

There are advantages to taking a defensive driving course. For instance, you can reduce the number of points on your license if you take a course in defensive driving or accident prevention. If you are looking for auto insurance, provide us proof that you took a defensive driving course and we can help you obtain a discount. Only drivers who are under the age of 21 are eligible for this discount. Please note that this discount does expire after a time, but it can be renewed if you take another course.

Should I Downsize My Vehicle?

You may think that downsizing your vehicle will greatly reduce your insurance costs. This is not necessarily true. For example, while hybrid vehicles may be better for the environment, these types of vehicles are worth more money and therefore, cost more to insure. Hybrid vehicles are built with more advanced technology. This means they are more expensive to produce. If you own a hybrid and it gets stolen or totaled, your insurance would need to cover a higher cost to replace it.

Increase Your Deductibles

Your deductible is the amount of money you agree to pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage kicks in. These amounts typically range between $250 to $1,000. Generally, the less you pay in your deductible, the higher your annual insurance premium will be. With a higher deductible, your annual insurance premium will be lower. Depending on your comfort level and your driving confidence, you choose the best option that best fits your needs.

Review Your Coverage

Are you currently carrying something on your insurance policy you do not need? For example, if you are driving an old car that is on the verge of dying on you, it may make more sense to drop collision or comprehensive coverage. Why? Because the insurance company may choose to deem the car a total loss since the value of the vehicle at the time of the accident is less than what it would actually cost to repair it.

Pay-In-Full

Typically speaking, you will pay less for your auto insurance if you agree to pay for the full sum of the policy upfront rather than paying in installments i.e. monthly.