Here at RIAS we put you first. That means listening to you, providing you with the information you need to make the best decision, and negotiating to get you the best price from our selected insurers.

How to proceed is your choice. Fill out our simple online form to get a quote, or call us to talk about your insurance needs. Either way, we’ll help you find the right deal for you at our best price.

Buildings Insurance from RIAS

Buildings insurance covers the costs you’d face if your home needed to be repaired or rebuilt as a result of a number of types of damage: water damage, fire, flood, storm, malicious damage, impact or theft. In the event of a claim there is a £50 excess payable with this cover. Our standard cover includes:

• Rebuilding or repairs up to £1 million
• Accidental damage to the fabric of cables, underground pipes and drains and their inspection covers, serving your home and for which you are responsible
• Up to £2 million Public Liability cover
• £10,000 rebuild cover for any outbuildings on a permanent foundation
  Fixed glass, such as patio doors and windows, is covered against accidental damage
• Alternative accommodation – up to £100,000 for temporary accommodation if you have to move out of your property because of damage covered by the policy
• Accidental damage to bathroom fixtures and fittings
• 24-hour legal advice helpline
• Identity Theft Assistance Service
• To view key policy benefits and exclusions for buildings insurance, download our home insurance policy summary. For full terms and conditions of our policy, download our home insurance policy booklet.

Do you need extra cover?
Our standard buildings insurance cover is wide ranging but for added peace of mind, you may wish to add our Additional Accidental Damage cover. This protects you against damage to the structure of your building - for instance, if you were in the loft and accidentally put your foot through the ceiling.

RIAS Contents Insurance - Covering your possessions

Home contents insurance protects your household goods and personal belongings in your home. You’re covered against loss and theft and against damage including riot, malicious damage, impact, fire, flood, storm and water damage. There is a £50 excess fee if you need to make a claim, the standard contents insurance cover includes the following:

• Up to £50,000 to replace lost, stolen or damaged possessions (can be increased up to £100,000)
• New for old replacements on damaged or stolen items
• Accidental damage to audio and visual equipment, including televisions, computers and videos
• Up to £500 for damage to food in any refrigerator or deep freezer
• Alternative accommodation up to £10,000
• Up to £2 million public liability cover
• £5,000 contents cover for outbuildings on a permanent foundation
• 24-hour legal advice helpline
• Identity Theft Assistance Service
• New for old replacements on damaged or stolen items (excluding clothing/linen over 3 years old)

Extras

To help make sure your cover reflects your individual needs, we offer a number of additional options. You can add on:

• Additional Accidental Damage cover, including damage to glass, china, porcelain, earthenware, stone or other fragile material up to £250
• Special cover for high value items worth over £1,500 you need to list these separately on your cover and keep valuations up to date. In case of a claim, your insurer may want to see proof of valuation
• Personal belongings away from home – up to an overall total of £5,000, including up to £1,500 each for items such as luggage, cameras and jewellery; £500 for lost or stolen credit cards and £300 cash
• Pedal cycles – extra cover to protect them when you padlock them away from home (your standard policy will cover cycles if they are stolen or damaged from a locked building at home) - £1,000 per pedal cycle and £2,000 in total.
   

Save even more by following our essential home insurance security tips to get a discount.

Home Emergency Cover

This cover provides protection against sudden or unforeseen incidents at the property, which expose you to a risk to your health, creates a risk of loss or damage or renders the property uninhabitable.

What's insured:

• We will organise and pay up to £300 including VAT, call out, labour, parts and materials to carry out an emergency repair or if at a similar expense, a permanent repair.
• For overnight accommodation, (if agreed by our helpline first) we will pay up to £250.

Benefits cover:

• Failure or damage of your plumbing or drainage system, where flooding or water damage is likely inside the home
• Electricity supply breakdown or failure (disconnection is excluded)
• Failure or breakdown of the permanently-installed cooking system
• Failure, breakdown or damage to outside locks, doors or windows which make the home unsecure
• Main heating system failure (boilers over 15 years old are excluded)
• Lost key if it is the only available key and you can not replace it or gain normal access

To make a claim, please call our helpline first and not the contractors direct, otherwise the work may not be covered.

Claims arising when the home is left unoccupied for 30 consecutive days are excluded.

Full details and exclusions can be found in the policy booklet.

The cover is administered by Principal Marketing & Insurance Services and is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance SA.

Home Emergency cover is provided for £66 per year.

Garden Secure - extra cover for your garden

This provides extra cover for your garden, which is in addition to the cover provided on your buildings and contents insurance. Your garden is probably your pride and joy, so we are pleased to be able to offer you this extra insurance to protect it against damage from vandals and the weather.

What’s insured:

• Walls, gates, fences, patios and trellis
• Hedges, lawns, trees, shrubs and plants

Cover includes loss or damage caused by:

• Theft
• Fire, lightning or explosion (smoke/bonfire damage is excluded)
• Storm or flood damage
• Malicious damage
• Accidental damage (caused by any person other than you or your family)
• Damage by wild animals
• TV aerials, dishes or masonry falling from the building
• Branches falling from trees

In the event of a claim there is a £50 excess payable with this cover.

Frost/general wear and tear is excluded.

Full details and exclusions can be found in the policy booklet.

Your garden will be covered for up to £750 per period of insurance for only £32.20 per year.

Personal Legal Protection Cover

If you or any of your family living at home wish to pursue legal proceedings, this option will cover the costs of such action (up to £50,000 per claim).

Benefits include:

• Cover for personal injury or death disputes
• Contract disputes such as the purchase/hire of goods or sale of goods (if over £100)
• Employment disputes such as employment tribunal
• Protection for disputes relating to the ownership or occupation of your home such as boundary disputes or trespassing (£250 excess payable for this)

This cover is provided by MotorPlus Ltd trading as ULR Norwich/FamilyPlus.

Full details and exclusions can be found in the policy booklet.

This cover is available for only £21.00 per year.

This policy is designed to provide you with the peace of mind and security that all of your keys are covered in the event of loss or theft.

For just £18 a year (£1.50 per month), the Key Protection policy will provide the following:

• Up to £1,500 towards gaining access in the event that your keys are locked in or broken in the lock of your vehicle, home or office and, if necessary, provide reimbursement for a replacement key or lock.
• Up to £75 a day for up to 3 days car hire if you are stranded away from home due to theft or loss of your car keys or, alternatively, reasonable public transport or taxi fares.
• 24 hour, 365 days a year assistance.
• You will not have to pay an excess when you make a claim.
• The Key Protection policy will provide cover for all residents of the home.

The policy is underwritten by Inter Partner Assistance and administered by Direct Group Limited on behalf of the insurer. The claims helpline is operated by AXA Assistance.

Full details and exclusion can be found in the Policy Summary.

For just £15.96 a year (£1.33 per month) you can add our Broken Bones Cash Plan to your home policy. This policy provides a cash sum payment of £400 in total in the event of you breaking one or more of the bones shown below, in an accident during the period of insurance.

• ankle (tarsals)
• breastbone (sternum)
• clavicle (collar bone)
• coccyx
• foot (metatarsals)
• hand (metacarpals)
• kneecap (patella)
• lower arm (radius and ulna)
• lower jaw
• lower leg (tibia and fibula)
• nose
• pelvis
• upper arm (humerus)
• upper leg (femur)
• rib
• shoulder blade (scapula)
• skull (including facial bones)
• vertebra
• wrist (carpals)

Cover under this policy is provided by ACE European Group Limited. Full terms and conditions can be found in the home insurance policy booklet and home insurance policy summary. Broken Bones Cash Plan can be added as an optional extra to your Home Policy. If you wish to include this cover, please contact RIAS Customer Services on 0845 650 0345

ID Theft

Protecting you from identity theft
Criminals can use your identity and personal details to open bank accounts and apply for credit cards, loans, state benefits, mortgages, passports and driving licences – all in your name. If your identity has been stolen it might cause you difficulties in accessing your own bank account, and result in days spent sorting out finances and documents.

How will our ID Theft Assistance Service help clear your name?
If you do become a victim of identity theft, RIAS can help to resolve the situation in four ways:

We’ll provide you with your own Case Manager
As soon as you call to report a case of suspected identity theft we assign you your own dedicated expert, who will help to establish whether or not your identity has been stolen and provide you with practical help and advice.

We will request your Credit Files
Your ID Theft Case Manager will work with all three credit agencies (Experian, Equifax and CallCredit) to establish a complete overview of your personal credit history. They will then create and dispatch the relevant documents and explanatory notes to you, so you can complete the process of clearing your name. Please note, there is a small charge for each credit report.

We will undertake Identity Recovery and CIFAS Protection
If your credit report does identify any credit agreements that you did not take out yourself, your Case Manager will work with you to correct and amend your credit file. If appropriate, we will arrange for CIFAS (the UK’s Fraud Protection Service) Protective Registration to help prevent future ID theft.

We will provide you with proof of identity
If a bank or other company affected has any doubts that you were a victim of identity theft, they may require further proof of your innocence. In this situation your Case Manager will help by putting together all the evidence for you. This will include proof of identity and documentation that will fully clear your name.

This service is provided by Europ Assistance Holdings Limited. The helpline number is
0870 737 5709. Lines are open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

Be vigilant. To protect your identity, keep an eye out for the following:

• Bank statements or correspondence that fails to arrive. 
• Bills, invoices or receipts addressed to you for goods and service that you haven’t purchased.
• The refusal of an application for a credit card, mortgage or loan, despite your having a good credit history.
• Letters from solicitors or debt collectors concerning debts that aren’t yours.
• A missing passport or driving licence.

Useful contacts

APACS (the UK Payments Association) -  www.apacs.org.uk
Bank Safe Online - www.banksafeonline.org.uk
British Bankers’ Association - www.bba.org.uk
CardWatch - www.cardwatch.org.uk
Crimestoppers - www.crimestoppers-uk.org
DVLA - www.dvla.gov.uk
Foreign and Commonwealth Office - www.fco.gov.uk
Fraud Reduction Website - www.uk-fraud.info
Home Office - www.homeoffice.gov.uk
Royal Mail - http://www.royalmail.com/portal/rm
UK Passport Office - www.passport.gov.uk

Security Tips – maximise your household security

Taking basic precautions to protect your home obviously makes sense in terms of your own security. Additionally, however,  the pointers below might also be necessary conditions of your home insurance policy. And even when they’re not essential, doing the following might help you qualify for discounts on your insurance:

Main entrance/exit door (usually your front door). Depending on the type of door you use to enter and leave your home (your ‘final exit’ door), it should be fitted with either a mortise deadlock with a minimum of five levers, or a three-point multi-locking system

Ground floor and other accessible windows. These should be fitted with key-operated window locks. ‘Accessible’ windows include any that can be reached without using a ladder, and have an opening of at least 9 inches by 9 inches.
 
Other external doors (except patio doors). These must be fitted with barrel bolts top and bottom. If the door is partially glazed you will need to fit key-operated locks.
 
Patio doors. Fit any UPVC doors with a three-point multi-locking system. Other patio doors should be fitted with key-operated bolts, top and bottom.

You might qualify for extra discounts on your home insurance if you have installed a NACOSS, SSAIB or NSI-approved intruder alarm covered by an annual maintenance contract, or if you live in a Neighbourhood Watch area. 

RIAS is celebrating after winning a triple accolade at the inaugural 2010 thisismoney.co.uk Awards

The recognition, from the Daily Mail's personal finance website users, honours the UK's top financial service providers.

The thisismoney.co.uk Awards, new for 2010, invited 5,000 thisismoney.co.uk users to rate the providers they consider to be the most trusted and deliver the best customer service experience across insurance, banking and savings.  RIAS has been named as the 'Most Trusted Home Insurance provider', the 'Best Home Insurance Provider for Customer Service', and the 'Best Overall Home Insurance Provider'.

A great value quote with RIAS could win you a cruise*

Here are two great reasons to call RIAS about your home insurance. You could get a great money-saving quote - AND win an unforgettable Caribbean cruise for two on board Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines' elegant Braemar.

This amazing opportunity to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience of a 2 week trip around the beautiful Caribbean Islands, includes everything you've ever dreamed of. Quality dining... captivating entertainment... fantastic service... all coupled with the stretches of Caribbean palm backed beaches and sparkling blue waters.

Don't miss your chance to win - and save money on your home insurance. Get an online quote today. When you receive it, you'll be automatically entered into our prize draw to win this superb Caribbean cruise. Take out the policy within a week and increase your chances of winning with a second entry into the draw. Who knows, you could soon be sailing to horizons new.

For a brochure detailing Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines' more intimate style of cruising, call 08705 77 22 99 quoting RIAS, or visit:
www.fredolsencruises.co.uk

*Prize draw terms & conditions

1. The prize is a two week Caribbean cruise for two on board Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines' Braemar, including 'Premium Seating' flight seats, transfers from port to airport, meals on board and accommodation in a Superior Suite (subject to availability). All other additional costs (such as insurance, gratuities, drinks and Shore Tours) are the responsibility of the prize winner. Total prize is a maximum of £7,000, based on Early Saver fares as detailed in Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines' 2010/11 second edition brochure and £3,000 spending money. Valid for departures 20th January 2011 - 1st April 2011 inclusive, subject to availability. The booking is in accordance with Terms and Conditions as stated in Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines' Worldwide 2010/11 second edition brochure.
2. Employees of RIAS PLC, Fred.Olsen Cruise Lines and their immediate families, including relatives residing in an employee’s household and any person professionally involved with this prize draw, may not enter the prize draw.
3. Entry is open to residents of the United Kingdom, excluding Northern Ireland, aged 50 years or over.
4. You will automatically be entered into the draw when you receive an online home insurance quotation from RIAS PLC on or between 1st January 2010 and 31st December 2010. Quotations will only be provided within 90 days of the policy start date.
5. If you purchase the policy within one week of receiving the quote you will receive a second entry into the draw.
6. The prize draw will take place on the 14th January 2011. The first name drawn will win the cruise prize or, at RIAS PLC’s option, an alternative cruise of the same value.
7. The winner may choose the Fred.Olsen cruise and £3,000 spending money or a cash alternative of £10,000.
8. The winner will be notified by post within 14 working days of the draw date. RIAS PLC reserves the right to select an alternative winner if unable to contact the original winner within 28 days of the draw taking place. The prize is not transferable.
9. RIAS PLC's decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. The result will be made available on the RIAS website after the draw date.
10. RIAS PLC accepts no liability for any loss or damage that may occur in relation to acceptance of this prize.
11. RIAS PLC will treat your information as private and keep it secure but reserves the right to use the winner’s name, home town, photography and comments in future publicity or promotional material.
12. To read the privacy policy, please click here.

83% of home insurance customers* would recommend RIAS to family or friends!

Home Insurance
See what our customers say about our service and our prices.

Mr Elliott, Gloucestershire
"If you're 50+, RIAS is a must. No-one else comes close on price."

Mr Crozier, Surrey
"We found that the member of your staff that we spoke to about renewing our Home Insurance was so helpful and knowledgeable and explained everything in such detail, it seemed more like speaking to a friend than a complete stranger, making it much easier for us to change to RIAS."
 
Mrs Hobbs, Devon
"By switching to RIAS Home & Contents Insurance we saved the equivalent of what was our contents insurance with our previous insurer @ £200. Well done RIAS!!"

Mrs Chandler, Kent
"The service was excellent. What more can I say!"

Mr Peck, Kent
"Excellent service, excellent price, customer friendly documentation. I wish all my purchases were this easy. Saved over £170 on this policy compared to my previous insurer. Well done…"

Mr Fry, Roxboroughshire, Scottish Borders
"The sales advisor was excellent. He was friendly, most informative and answered questions succinctly. I saved £109 (35%) in comparison with the insurer who had had my business for several (claim free) years. Although I have only been with RIAS since earlier this month, the company has made an excellent impression, living up to the promises made in its advertisement."

Mrs Taylor, West Sussex
"RIAS offered us an increased level of cover at a saving of more than £120 on the renewal premium with our previous insurer - I'm very glad we called!"
 

* Research conducted by Ipsos MORI for RIAS, May 2009 among 150 RIAS home insurance and 150 RIAS motor insurance customers.