Houston – If you are still without power in the Houston area, chances are all the food in your fridge is about to go bad. We all know food is expensive and there could be hundreds of dollars lost if you have to throw it out. So, can you get money back for spoiled food during a storm?
Your insurance company may not tell you, but if you request reimbursement for the groceries you lost, you can probably get up to $500. You also may be able to get money back for eating out and hotels during this time.
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Look for ‘food endorsement’ on your insurance policy
Jessica Fuentes from Brazos Insurance Agency explains what to look for on your homeowner’s policy. On the declarations page look for a “food endorsement.” Not all policies include this.
If you see a the ‘food endorsement’ on your policy, you should make a list of what perishable items you lost when the power went out. You can also take pictures to show all of the food you lost.
“So, if you don’t have any other damage at all that happened at your home as you lost power and you’ve got, you know, a couple hundred dollars’ worth of refrigerated products in your refrigerator that are going bad. Double check if that’s covered on your policy before you file that claim. Because another thing you don’t want to do is go straight to filing a claim and then find out something isn’t covered, and then just have this, you know, zero pain, loss on your claims record,” explains Jessica Fuentes from Brazos Insurance Agency.
“Meaning like the claim got filed but nothing was paid out for you. And although those don’t hurt you, because they don’t have points against you, and it was it, you know, paid out. When you’re shopping around for insurance, sometimes those can cause them to ask more questions. What happened here? Did it get fixed? You know, show us photos. If it was, you know, a broken window and it wasn’t covered, did you fix it? You know, that’s basically what we want to know when we’re looking at make that claim.”
Since insurance companies understand you won’t have receipts for everything in your fridge or freezer, they are not required but some proof wouldn’t hurt either.
RELATED: How long does food last in fridge with no power?
Can I get reimbursed for dining out or hotels during power outage?
If you go out to eat because of damages in your home (or no power) made it impossible to cook, save your receipts. You might be able to get reimbursed for expenses you incurred.
Check the declarations page of your policy for an “ALE” or “Added Living Expense” endorsement. If you have this, it means if you have to stay in a hotel or other accommodations because damage to your home made it unlivable, submit your receipts for the hotel to the insurance company.
“If your home is unlivable and you just you cannot stay there in those cases. Yes, your hotels, your meals, any, you know, things that you incur that you would have normally not had to pay for you at home. Those things just keep your receipts and make sure that, you know, as you’re filing your claim, you’re turning those. And the coverage on your policy for loss of use will cover all of that. So, another reason to have a copy your policy handy so you can see what the limit is for that coverage.”
Consider your deductible
Fuentes says not all insurance companies will require you to pay a deductible to make a food damage related claim. Others will require you to pay. If that’s the case, you need to know if your damages are more than the price you’ll have to pay to cover the deductible.
What about renters? In most cases renters’ insurance will cover reimbursement for food loss done during a storm.
SEE ALSO: How to get reimbursed for SNAP/WIC benefits if you lost food during the power outages.
Do you have any other storm related questions for KPRC 2′s Amy Davis? Email AskAmy@kprc.com.