(StatePoint) When it comes to your home, there is unfortunately no shortage of things that can go wrong and no shortage of culprits, from wicked weather to electrical fires.
High winds, plumbing and appliance issues, hail, leaky roofs, frozen pipes and break-ins — these are some of the most frequent causes of property damage, according to Travelers, which analyzed eight years of its homeowners insurance claims.
But experts say that there are steps you can take to help protect your home and family from situations beyond your control, particularly when it comes to some of the most common issues.
“Beyond investing in an insurance policy, integrated smart home technology can go a long way toward helping you protect your home,” says Pat Gee, senior vice president of Personal Insurance Claim at Travelers. “Some of the most common situations we see might be prevented or mitigated with the use of smart home technology.”
Gee points out that with a smart water sensor, for example, you could be alerted at the first sign of excess water where it doesn’t belong and take care of it before it’s too late, or, with a smart motion sensor, you’ll know about unusual activity on your property in real time.
Travelers thinks that smart home technology is a game changer when it comes to protecting homes and property, so it has teamed up with Amazon to offer integrated smart home solutions at a discount to the insurer’s eligible customers. Customers can choose between a Smart Kit, Smart Kit Plus and Smart Kit Premier, which include an Amazon Echo Dot, security cameras, water sensors, motion detectors and a smart home hub to centrally control these devices from one app. Travelers is also offering discounted kit installation, providing free Amazon Echo Dot devices to eligible customers, and has introduced new Alexa skills to help answer billing questions and provide property maintenance and home safety advice to all consumers, with more skills planned for the future.
“Traditional smoke alarms and home security systems are helpful, but there are new, proactive ways to monitor your home, including devices that are easier to use and more affordable than ever,” says Gee. “There has never been a better time to explore smart home solutions that can enhance your home’s security and help provide peace of mind.”
