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Every year, the Western Washington experiences powerful windstorms and widespread power outages, which is a pain for raw feeders. Raw feeders who own several freezers risk losing thousands of dollars in raw dog food due to a power outage. The food will remain frozen for two to three days, but not for a week or more. The risk of food spoilage increases if the freezer is 40 F (4.44 C) or colder when the power returns according to my insurance agent.
A generator is a great investment; we purchased a 7500 watt Champion generator from Costco to protect our dog's food. It's also a good idea to invest in a digital freezer thermometer, which will notify you if your freezer is failing. The following are the highest rated on Amazon.com.
- Digiwize Digital Freezer Thermometer
- Unigear Digital Freezer Thermometer – 2 Pack (I'm ordering this one)
- Wrenwane Digital Freezer Thermometer
- ORIA Digital Freezer Thermometer
Homeowner's Insurance and Food Spoilage
But, what if raw dog food spoils due to a power outage? Can we file an insurance claim for reimbursement to replace the food?
It turns out that homeowner's insurance may not cover food spoilage, so you must contact your agent to see what you can do to add your freezer to your policy. My research found that homeowner's insurance may not cover your freezer losses if…
- the power outage didn't originate on your property – so if a public transformer fails and we lose power for a week, our insurance may say, “Not our problem.”
- the power outage was caused by something not covered in your policy – for instance, you may be covered if the power outage is due to a windstorm, but not a flood.
- the freezer failed because it's old or crappy – that is something covered under the freezer warranty, not homeowner's insurance.
And it's important to remember that your coverage may require you to pay a deductible. If your deductible is $500 and you lost $750 worth of raw dog food – you'd be better off spending the money on the dog food. Ask your insurance agent if the loss can include several things. You may be able to combine all of your losses (spoiled food, cost of repairs, clean up, etc.) into one claim, making the deductible more reasonable.
Before You File an Insurance Claim
Before you file an insurance claim, keep the following in mind:
- Your claim may result in a hike in your insurance rates.
- You may not be able to claim a loss if you have another claim in the same year.
- If you're strapped for cash, it will suck to wait for an insurance reimbursement to restock the freezer.
Of course, all of this depends on your insurance carrier, so call your agent to ensure you're covered.
Renter's Insurance and Food Spoilage
Renter's insurance seemed to follow the same guidelines for non-coverage as homeowner's insurance. So if you return from vacation to find that your freezer failed, insurance probably won't cover it; you'll have to speak with your landlord.
However, if your freezer failed due to severe storms that took out the power in your town – you may be able to have the food replaced along with other damage to your home.
As I stated above, call your insurance agent to confirm your coverage.
Do You Have to Save Receipts of the Spoiled Food?
Nope. It's not realistic to think that we save receipts, and it's unclear when an agent is going to be available to confirm that your food is spoiled. Take pictures of everything in case they ask for evidence. From what I've read, the pictures are all they need. Of course, please confirm this with your agent.
Replacing Raw Dog Food on a Budget
If insurance won't cover the loss and you're not flush with funds, here are a few things you can do to stock up your freezer without breaking the bank…
- Post an ad on Craigslist and Facebook for any unwanted meat. Many people will toss freezer-burnt meat, but this is fine for our dogs. Especially in an emergency, on a temporary basis.
- Post an ad in a Facebook group – when a local raw feeder was low on funds and food, I gave her a ton of meat that I was planning to use for bone broth. It was exactly what she needed to get her through to payday.
- Reach out to local butchers, grocery stores, and pet stores (that carry raw) to see if they are discounting any meat that's not spoiled, but they may not want to sell it either. In this case, don't be surprised if you strike out; there may be a liability issue for the store.
The goal is to get your hands on meat that is still in good shape that your dogs can eat.
If none of these options pan out, then get the best quality kibble you can find, add as much fresh food as you can afford OR you can cook food for your dog. This will give you time to stock up your raw freezer again.
Easy Cooked Dog Food Recipe
Invest in a few dog food cookbooks in case you need to cook for your dog until our next raw order comes in; my favorites are:
- Yin and Yang Nutrition for Dogs, Dr. Judy Morgan
- Homemade Meals for Cats and Dogs (grain free), Dr. Cathy Alinovi and Susan Thixton
- Feed Your Best Friend Better, Rick Woodford
Top Rated, Affordable Generators
There are plenty of portable generators that are affordable and will keep your freezers powered when the power is out. The following are the top listed 1000-1999 watt, portable generators available at the time of this post:
- WEN 56200i, 1600 Running Watts/2000 Starting Watts, 4-Stroke Gas Powered Portable Inverter Generator, CARB Compliant
- Honda EU2000I Super Quiet 2000 Watt Portable Generator with Inverter
- Champion Power Equipment 42436 1200 Watt Multi-Purpose Portable Generator (recommended)
Sources…
- Allstate: Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Spoiled Food After A Power Outage?
- Insurance.com: Does homeowners insurance kick in when your power is out?
- And my insurance agent.
The generator has saved us a lot of money and inconvenience.
Excellent article. I currently don’t have a freezer, but when I get one this article has told me I better get a generator, too! Sounds like the best solution.
Thanks for the research and posting the results