While thousands of people are without power across Western Washington, many people have had to throw away their food as it spoils in the refrigerator. This begs the question: if your food goes bad because your refrigerator has no power, can it be covered by insurance?
Oddly enough, it’s a yes and no answer.
Kenton Brine, president of the NW Insurance Council, said it all depends on your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy, which has a food loss limit.
“There must be a power outage of longer duration, for example 72 hours or longer,” says Brine.
Brine also points out that it also depends on your deductible.
“If you have a $2,500 deductible and you only suffered a thousand dollars in food loss, you’re still paying out of pocket and it’s not worth filing a claim,” Brine said. “However, many people have food stored in their garage and freezer. They might have a whole piece of beef on offer, that can add up pretty quickly and then you look at the possibility (of filing a claim),” Brine said.
Brine said if you are in a situation where you have a significant amount of food loss due to a power outage, it is essential to keep your receipts to make the process easier.
“Many people are not aware that they need to keep an inventory of items in their home in case of loss,” says Brine.
As people in Puget Sound continue to pick up the pieces, Brine said it’s a good time to check exactly what your insurance covers.
“Have a conversation with your insurance agent regularly or at least once a year to make sure you’re getting the coverage you need and that it covers the things you think it covers,” Brine said.
The NW Insurance Council has also released this information here as guidance for people navigating all ongoing recovery efforts.
