Load shedding: here’s how to minimise your risk

As the reality of load shedding continues in South Africa, many consumers want to know exactly what their insurance cover entails. 

Load shedding can have an enormous impact on consumers who must cope with the damage to their appliances brought on by power surges or risk loss through theft or burglary as a result of faulty security measures. 

We take a look at some of the top risks associated with load shedding and what types of damage or loss Santam will cover. 

Cover for 'faulty' security measures 

When there is load shedding there is a good chance that your home security measures may be affected, which may raise concerns around the safety of you and your loved ones. 

If you secure your home with a motorised gate and a home alarm system, you may wonder if you're going to be covered for theft and any other type of loss in the event of load shedding. 

Clients need to ensure they take appropriate action to ensure that batteries remain charged. This leaves clients with no alternative but to have some form of back-up. If the battery has run flat and your alarm is not working, then there is no cover.

It is a policy condition that the client must inform Santam of any material changes to the risks. They must inform Santam that they do not have a functional alarm.

In PL one of multiple scenarios could happen depending on the area of which the risk is situated in and other security measures in place, e.g.:

1. Santam remove the condition if the remaining security measures are still sufficient
2. An additional excess could become applicable i.r.o burglary and theft
3. The cover for burglary and theft may be excluded if the security measures are inadequate

What about power surges?

When there is load shedding, power surges may occur. Power surges happen when the electricity returns after an extended outage, sending an increased flow of current to a wall socket or an electrical distribution board. This has the potential to damage your home appliances. 

As a Santam policyholder, you can opt for power surge cover, which covers damage caused by power surges. Santam's personal lines house contents section further provides cover for deterioration of contents of refrigerators but spoiling as a result of load shedding or a grid failure is specifically excluded.

Santam policyholders can be assured that each claim will be assessed and considered individually,

If you have any questions or concerns about load shedding and your insurance cover, speak to your broker or call us on 0860 444 444.