Congratulations on purchasing your set of bagpipes or a drum.
Now it’s time to enjoy playing it.
Have you considered how to protect your investment?
When it comes to insurance most musicians automatically think of household insurance, but is that the best option?
The truth is it all depends on how you use the instrument and of course the cover you have purchased. Always check your wording, but for the purpose of this article, we shall give some broad and general guidance for UK residents buying bagpipes or drums.
Points to consider include the following…
A home insurance policy is designed to cover items at home. If you only play at home then a home policy may be sufficient but below are typical questions which may be applicable to you and depending on your needs, you may need an alternative to home insurance.
- Your home policy will not provide any cover if you are paid to perform (even if a small amount of compensation, it will regard you as a professional)
- Most home policies also exclude cover whilst you are playing it
- Consider your home policy peril cover – have you purchased accidental damage cover? Most likely damage will occur from being dropped or stolen.
- If you take your bagpipe or drum out of the home, perhaps to a lesson or a performance, you will need to check that your household policy covers this out of home risk (normally an out of home extension is required at extra costs).
- Your home policy will have a single item limit of typically £1500 / £2000. If your instrument is worth more (and value can include accessories) then you have no cover for that item at all, unless it is named or listed on your policy (normally additional premium is required).
- Will it cover loss or theft if left on a bus or train? What cover will you have from leaving the instrument in a vehicle (if any)?
- What is your home policy excess (typically £100, £250 etc.) and will a claim following damage to your instrument affect your Contents No Claims Discount (if applicable).
- Most importantly will your contents insurers know where best to repair your instrument?
- If you were to damage your bagpipe or drum, would your contents policy pay for a loan of a suitable bagpipe or drum to enable you to continue to play?
- Finally, most home policies require theft involving forced entry or exit. For example, a broken door, but in practice bagpipes and drums are most often left in unlocked rooms or store rooms especially when out of the house.
Insuring Bagpipes and Drums
Your needs for coverage will differ depending on your experience and use.
Other alternatives to home insurance include self insurance or a specialist music instrument policy. There are a number of specialist policies providers but the following is advice from Paul Crump at Newmoon Insurance Services Limited. Paul and the team at Newmoon have experience in dealing with pipers and drums to help them insure their bagpipes or drums in the United Kingdom.
- A specialist policy covers your instrument in and outside the home for the UK and can be extended to cover the instrument on a worldwide basis.
- It covers professional (paid performances) as well as non paid musician’s
- A standard £0 policy excess applies (although you can consider taking an excess if required) but it will protect your home insurance NCD..
- Policy extensions include loaning of an instrument (limits apply), accessories etc
- Other benefits include:
- Theft cover
- Accidental damage cover
- Loss cover
- Unspecified musical accessory cover comes as standard (limit £350)
- Unattended vehicle cover
- Hire costs in the event of a claim
- 14 days free cover when you borrow/acquire a new instrument (limit £3,500)
- UK wide repair network
- Depreciation cover is included as standard within Newmoon’s music instrument policy, which of course includes bagpipe and drums.
Special Offer for UK Residents from Newmoon Insurance for Bagpipe Central users
Newmoon have offered a special one month discount from their Harmonic policy by using the code BCP12411 (discount applies to new business at inception and subsequent renewals subject to min premiums).
If you have further questions, please contact Paul at www.newmooninsurance.com or by phone at 01892280323.
In the end the key is to consider how you use the instrument and make sure you have the cover you need in place. Keep an eye on values as these will change and you should always ensure you have the correct value on your insurance.
If in doubt always talk to your insurers – home or specialist.
Please contact us if you have an idea that you would like to share with our audience.