CLAIM IT

Full list of storm Gerrit compensation and refunds you could claim including for power outages and flight delays

You might be entitled to up to £2,000

Sam Walker

Published: 10:03, 28 Dec 2023
Updated: 10:09, 28 Dec 2023

THOUSANDS have been hit with snow, rain and up to 80mph winds as Storm Gerrit batters the UK.

Motorists are bracing for another day of travel chaos as households in Greater Manchester saw a tornado rip roofs off homes.

You can claim compensation for outages caused by bad weatherCredit: Getty

With the bad weather continuing, at least for today, you might be wondering what your rights are when it comes to compensation.

Luckily, you can claim money back if you've experienced a power outage, damage to your property, travel disruption and more.

Here's everything you need to know about your compensation and refund rights.

Claim for power outages

You can get compensation worth up to £2,000 for unplanned power cuts caused by bad weather.

Claim for storm damage

You may be able to claim on your home insurance for storm damage, but of course this depends on the type of cover you have.

The finer detail in your terms and conditions will reveal what exactly you are covered for too.

Usually, both building and contents insurance cover against storm and weather damage, according to comparethemarket.com.

The Financial Ombudsman defines a storm as something that "generally involves violent winds, usually accompanied by rain, hail or snow".

But many insurers have their own standards that define "bad weather", which you agree to when you take out the policy.

In less severe weather, they may argue against you making a claim, citing things like wind speeds.

Many insurance providers won't consider something a storm unless winds reach over 55mph.

But considering Storm Gerrit is bringing winds of up to 80mph and more , you may be able to make a successful claim.

What you can claim for

According to comparethemarket.com, things that you are likely to be able to make a claim for include:

roof damage
water damage
wind damage
sewer back-up
frozen pipes
damage caused by falling trees
loss of power

You're not likely to be able to get a payout for things such as fences, hedges and gates.

Many policies often exclude damage made to anything outside the house itself unless you have specific cover.

In some cases, insurers may refuse to pay out if you didn't maintain your home to a good enough standard.

For example, if you make a claim for water damage to your house after the storm but the insurer's inspection finds that the gutters aren't clear.

In other cases, your building insurance might not cover your possessions so it's important to check the small print before taking out the policy.

Claim for broadband and landline outages

Broadband and landline customers can get money back from their provider following outages through the Automatic Compensation Scheme.

The scheme applies to problems reported from April 1, 2019.

You don't have to ask for compensation, and it should just be given to you automatically after reporting any issues.

You should also expect compensation if your service doesn't start when you expected it to, or if your engineer appointment is missed.

Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, previously confirmed to The Sun the scheme applies if the fault is caused by bad weather.

Any compensation is sent as a credit on your bill no later than 30 days after the issue occurred.

Landline and broadband customers can get compensation if their service has stopped working and is not fixed after two full working days.

For each calendar day that the service is not repaired after this two day period, the customer receives £9.33.

The scheme applies to the following providers:

BT
EE
Hyperoptic
Plusnet
Sky and NOW Broadband
TalkTalk
Utility Warehouse
Virgin Media
Vodafone
Zen Internet

Claim for car damage

You'll only be able to make a claim on your car insurance if it's fully comprehensive.

Third party fire and theft policies only cover if your car is damaged by another vehicle, or if your car is stolen or catches fire, according to USwitch.

So if you're not fully comp, you'll have to fork out for damage that's caused by falling trees or fences from Storm Gerrit.

With a fully comp policy, you'll still have to pay the excess - how much that is depends on how much the policy is.

But bear in mind that making a claim could see your premium rate jump up.

The exact coverage you have and what the policy will pay out for will depend on the terms and conditions, so check the finer detail.

You'll also need to show that you've taken suitable care to protect your car, for instance that you weren't driving recklessly in a storm which caused a collision.

Moneysupermarket says if your insurance company can prove contributory negligence on your part then your claim may be questioned.

If you do have fully comprehensive motor insurance and need to claim here's how to do it:

Contact your insurer as soon as your notice the damage - try their 24-hour emergency helpline if it is outside business hours
Take photos of the damage - don't move debris until you have photographic evidence
Arrange temporary repairs as soon as possible - discuss with your insurer first so that they are aware and will be able to reimburse you later
Don't drive your vehicle if the damage has made it unsafe

Claim for train delays

You may be able to get compensation for train journeys that have been delayed or cancelled due to severe weather.

But, unlike broadband customers, you'll have to apply as you won't get it automatically.

Delay repay

All train companies have adopted "delay repay", a national scheme used to compensate you for unexpected delays - and sometimes this includes bad weather.

Passengers are entitled to compensation for any delay of 15 minutes or more, unless the delay is caused by planned engineering work.

Claim for flight delays

Cancellations

When a flight is due to depart from an EU airport, regardless of the airline, or where an EU airline is due to land at an EU airport you are covered by EU flight delay and cancellation rules.

When your flight is cancelled, you're entitled to an alternative flight or a full refund - including a refund for the return leg.

If you opt for an alternative flight it’s up to you whether to fly as soon as possible after the cancelled flight or at a later date.

If you opt for a later flight, you may also be entitled to food, drink and accommodation, if you have to stay overnight.

Your airline may give you a voucher to redeem.

If you're unable to contact your airline, you may need to pay for accommodation yourself and claim the cash back later - make sure you keep hold of receipts though.

If you were due to travel outside the EU, contact your airline as what you're entitled to will vary.

Delays

If your flight has been delayed for more than five hours and it's an EU flight, you are entitled to a refund if you no longer want to travel.

You will also get a refund for any unused parts of your booking - for example the return flight - and a flight back to your departure airport if you’ve already completed part of your journey.

If you opt for this, just keep in mind that you'll generally no longer be entitled to any further care and assistance.

Compensation

Generally, you don't have a right to claim additional compensation if the cause of the delay or cancellation is bad weather.

But there are a few cases where you may wish to pursue a claim.

For example, if you are told you can't fly due to Storm Gerrit but other flights are departing then you may want to raise this with the airline.

The airline doesn't have to compensate you if you're told about a delay or cancellation at least two weeks in advance.

It also doesn't have to provide compensation if flights are cancelled and rerouted between one and two weeks of the day you're supposed to leave or it gets you to your destination no more than four hours late.