As new Liberty Insurance research shows 1 in 3 adults have more smart devices than a year ago – here’s what you need to know

• Almost 1 in 3 adults in Ireland (31%) have added more personal devices in the last year
• Home security has become more important during the pandemic – more than 1 in 3 (36%) now pay more attention to home safety and security
• More than 4 in 10 (41%) would willingly share smart home data with insurers if it helped prevent home accidents and emergencies
• Liberty recently committed to remote working for all employees in Ireland as part of the company’s transformation process to becoming a digital organisation
• Liberty comment: “The last eighteen months have changed how we live in, and value, our homes. From an insurance perspective, it’s important to ensure you have the correct insurance cover, that you keep your personal devices safe and secure at home, and that if you purchase a significant amount of additional devices and technology, you let your home insurer know.”

As the number of personal electronic and smart devices in Ireland continues to increase, Liberty Insurance is advising homeowners of the potential pitfalls and the risks to be aware of.

New research by Liberty Insurance shows almost 1 in 3 adults in Ireland (31%) have more personal devices in their homes than they did a year ago. The increase is most pronounced among younger adults, with more than half of all those aged 17-24 (51%) having added more personal devices over the past 12 months.

Digitalisation, the rise in remote working, and the increased time being spent at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, have seen an increase in the number of electronic devices kept at home.

Smart Homes are the way forward

Smart homes, those equipped with lighting, heating, and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely by smartphone or computer, have become increasingly common in recent years. According to Liberty’s research, the majority of Irish adults (54%) believe they are the way forward.

Distrust of technology

However, almost 1 in 4 adults (23%) are reluctant to use smart home devices due to a lack of trust in the technology. This lack of trust is most pronounced in the 30-40 age group, more than 1 in 3 of whom (34%) are reluctant to use smart home devices for this reason.

Smart devices have the potential to store data and communicate information that could identify potential home accidents and emergencies. More than 4 in 10 consumers in Ireland (41%) said they would be happy to share such information from their smart home devices with their insurance company if it helped prevent these type of incidents.

Liberty Home Insurance

Liberty Insurance offer a range of home and contents insurance cover. Most home insurance policies that include contents cover will encompass cover for a limited amount of home office equipment, such as a computer and printer excluding mobile phones which should be insured separately.

Home Security is Key

With people spending more time at home than before, more than 1 in 3 (36%) of survey respondents say they pay more attention to the safety and security of their homes than before the pandemic, a figure which rises to 1 in 2 (50%) in Dublin.

Nonetheless, almost 1 in 5 (17%) regularly leave electronic devices resting or charging within view of a window. Among the 25-34 age group, this number increases to almost 3 in 10 (28%) who say they do so.

As thieves generally target items that are easily transportable and re-sellable – such as portable electronic devices – customers should always be careful when storing and charging such equipment, and not leave them in highly visible locations as much as possible.

Almost 3 in 10 of those surveyed (28%) identified safety as the single most important element of their home, compared to just 21% before the pandemic. This reflects the increasing importance homeowners have placed on safety over the past eighteen months.

Digital Working Models

Liberty recently partnered with award-winning social enterprise Grow Remote, who launched the #MakingRemoteWork campaign last month alongside Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar. Liberty also committed earlier in 2021 to remote working for all its employees in Ireland as its go-forward working model.

Electronic devices used for work, such as computer equipment, which is provided by an employer is typically the employer’s responsibility and is covered under the business’s material damage section of its insurance policy.

However, homeowners are advised to check with their insurer to ensure they have the correct cover.

Comment from Stuart Trotter, Branch Manager at Liberty Insurance:

“Over the past 18-months, we have seen a rise in remote and home working, and this has changed how we live in, and value, our homes.

“From an insurance perspective, it’s important to ensure you have the correct insurance cover, that you keep your personal devices safe and secure at home, and that if you purchase additional devices and technology, you let your home insurer know.”

“This research shows a number of clear trends – we own more personal electronic devices than ever before, we’re paying more attention to home security than before, and more and more of us see smart home technology as the way of the future. We are always looking to leverage technology to make things better for our customers. We’ve been piloting smart devices, such as leak detectors, over the past year. Over the next 10 years believe technology will transform home insurance – and we aim to lead the way.”