Not upheld: claim handling, service failures, and claim decline complaint against AWP P&C S.A.

Decision detail

Summary

Ms O claimed under her home emergency insurance when her boiler failed on 6 September 2025. AWP's engineer identified a safety issue with the flue installation and reported it to Cadent, who subsequently severed the gas supply. AWP declined the claim citing a policy exclusion for systems not installed according to manufacturer's instructions, and offered £350 compensation for service failings including missed appointments and poor communication. The ombudsman upheld the claim decline as fair based on the engineer's expert evidence and did not uphold the complaint, finding the compensation adequate.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman found that the engineer's detailed and persuasive report constituted sufficient expert evidence that the flue was not installed correctly, justifying the claim decline under the policy exclusion. The ombudsman held AWP not responsible for Cadent's decision to sever the gas supply, as Cadent made their own independent assessment. While acknowledging significant service failings, the ombudsman considered the £350 compensation fair given that some distress resulted from the boiler failure itself rather than solely from AWP's service issues.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website