The topic of climate change is currently unpopular in light of other threats. Far-reaching government measures to protect against its negative consequences are no longer at the top of the political agenda. This makes it all the more important to take your own precautions.
Severe weather can cause expensive damage to your home. Stiftung Warentest therefore strongly recommends taking out comprehensive insurance. Although many property owners have home insurance, they often lack important natural hazard cover.
The testers only examined tariffs with comprehensive cover against all four basic risks: fire, tap water, storm and hail, as well as natural hazards such as flooding. The latter are still underestimated: only around half of all German homeowners have included this important component in their policy.
In the test, more than half of the tariffs received a "very good" quality rating. However, 68 policies failed because they reduce benefits in cases of gross negligence. The differences in premiums between insurance companies are enormous. A higher excess can significantly reduce annual costs. At the same time, it protects policyholders from termination, as minor damage does not have to be reported. Insurers have the right to terminate the policy after each reported claim. Those who then look for a new provider often have a difficult time.
According to Stiftung Warentest, natural disaster protection is indispensable in times of climate change. The detailed test results are published at www.test.de/wohngebaeudeversicherung.
As part of the coalition negotiations, the CDU/CSU and SPD have announced that all residential buildings in Germany will in future be required to be insured against natural hazards such as flooding, heavy rain or earthquakes. This is a political response to the growing risks posed by natural disasters, such as those that occurred in the Ahr Valley in 2021. The coalition agreement provides for state reinsurance, an opt-out clause and regulated conditions. These are intended to ensure that premiums remain affordable even in high-risk regions.
Photo: © Terry McGraw, Pixabay
