Most HO-3 home insurance policies cover spoiled fridge and freezer food after a power outage of 24 hours or more, with a typical cap of $500. File an inventory of lost items with receipts (or estimated values) within 60 days of the outage. Some utilities also offer goodwill claims for extended outages — typically $50 to $250 per household — that stack with the insurance claim.
Food spoilage timeline by hour
Hour 0-4: fridge and freezer maintain temperature if doors stay closed. Hour 4-24: fridge temperature rises into unsafe range (above 40F).
Hour 24-48: freezer temperature rises if no ice. Hour 48+: freezer food unsafe regardless. Document all food losses with photos and receipts.
Insurance claim process
File claim within 60 days of outage. Include itemized inventory, photos, receipts (or estimated values), and outage start/end times from utility records.
Most HO-3 policies cap food spoilage at $500. Some utilities offer separate goodwill claims for $50 to $250 that stack with the insurance claim.
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