Mercury Insurance Water Leak Detection Program Aims to Save Water and Money for California Homeowners

PR Newswire

LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mercury Insurance (NYSE: MCY) announced it will be subsidizing the cost of smart home water monitoring devices from Flo by Moen and Flume, providing California homeowners policyholders with two options to better protect their home from water damage. Mercury will cover $400 for the Flo by Moen Smart Water Shutoff device with professional installation by a verified plumber from the Moen Plumbing Network, and policyholders will be eligible to receive a 10% discount on a portion of their Mercury homeowners policy. Alternatively, policyholders may also choose to install a device by Flume, which will be reduced to just $75 (plus tax and shipping) after the Mercury-funded $124 instant rebate is applied.

Mercury's water leak detection program is designed to help homeowners reduce the leading cause of home damage – on average, more than 40% of a home's premium in California is attributable to the non-weather water peril. Due to a water loss, homeowners may lose access to their kitchens or bathrooms and, in some cases, have to move out entirely for months.

Mercury's water leak detection program is available at www.MercuryInsurance.com/leak-detection or by contacting a Mercury agent.

"Water leaks are preventable," said Mercury Insurance Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer Victor Joseph, who's also a user of the Flo by Moen Water Shutoff device. "The key is catching them early to minimize the damage. This is achievable through our partnerships with Flo by Moen and Flume smart water leak detection devices, which can discover large, small and in some cases, even hidden leaks.

"We're here to help our policyholders by taking on most of the upfront financial investment to purchase and install these devices. And once they have installed a Flo by Moen device, they'll get a discount on their insurance, too!"

The Flo by Moen Smart Water Shutoff installs on the home's main water line to prevent water damage and water loss by proactively detecting micro-leaks and other vulnerabilities anywhere in a home's water supply. When a homeowner has the Flo by Moen Smart Water Shutoff installed in their home, the chances their home will sustain damage is significantly reduced.

"Having experienced catastrophic water damage myself, I know firsthand how expensive it can be and how much damage it can cause to the home," said Flo Technologies CEO and Co-Founder Gabe Halimi. "And with water damage more likely to occur than theft and fire, we are committed to helping Mercury policyholders avoid that situation at all costs."

The Flume 2 works with virtually any water meter and is easily self-installed in minutes. The corresponding app allows users to view and monitor indoor and outdoor water use from anywhere, at any time. This increased visibility provides complete home protection by catching and alerting users of leaks as they happen, inside and outside of the home. To date the use of Flume products have resulted in lower water bills and the avoidance of potential catastrophic property damage due to leaks. Flume customers reduce water consumption by at least 10% year over year. More than 37% of users find a leak within one week of installation, and more than 70% of all Flume users will find a leak over time. Flume digitizes 4.9 million gallons per day, and in 2020 alone Flume digitized more than one billion gallons of water.

"Homeowners are becoming more concerned about their water use than ever before," said Flume CEO and Co-founder Eric Adler. "Flume provides critical intel that allows homeowners to understand their usage while also identifying leaks inside and outside of the home, and in turn preventing potentially catastrophic and costly damage. Together, with Mercury, we'll be able to protect policyholder's homes better than ever before."

Following are key benefits from Mercury's water leak detection program:

Consumers want safety and security from smart home devices². Water leak detection installation trails in the smart home category, while non-weather water claims are five times as likely to occur as theft claims and 10 times more likely to occur than a fire claim³. Additionally, Mercury reports that water claims occur more frequently during summer months when homeowners take vacations and are not able to turn off the water if a leak emerges.
The territory and age of a home are primary factors for susceptibility to water leaks. During the past decade, Californians have seen their home values increase at a historic rate. According to the real estate industry trade publication, "Realtor Magazine," the median California home value is projected to grow to more than $1 million by September 2030⁴. The current and future investments of many homeowners, however, may be at risk. When selling a home, water leak damage must be disclosed to potential buyers. California's aging homes are a leading cause of concern as Mercury, one of the largest carriers in the Golden State to offer a water leak detection device discount, reports nearly 50% of single-family homes it insures in California are more than 50 years old, with Southern California skewing the oldest (75% of Los Angeles County; and 55% of Orange County). However, Mercury advises homeowners that water leaks begin to occur well before the half century mark.
California's ongoing drought is a motivating factor to take action. Slow dripping faucets or irrigation systems only heighten the seriousness of California's ongoing drought. While many believe their home water supply system is leak-free, the average household's leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, and 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, according to the EPA⁵. Some California water districts are offering rebates for the installation of water leak detection and shutoff devices⁶. "Our program, combined with California water district rebates, means some homeowners may be eligible for rebates that would cover the entire cost of these devices and their installation. Not only is our program good for the environment, but leaky faucets getting the attention they deserve will save homeowners money on their water bill and insurance," said Joseph.

The Flo by Moen Water Shutoff device records minute-by-minute water usage and can give insights into where water can be saved – for example, shorter showers or changes to irrigation cycles. Flume offers 24/7 monitoring, leak alerts, and usage data that allows users to understand exactly where their water is going, indoors and out, and compare water usage and savings with neighbors.
Creates a healthier home environment. The trend of creating a healthier home space has increased since the coronavirus pandemic began. One area of focus is on cleaner indoor air and a culprit to diminishing the quality can be mold spores, which naturally occur inside your home and grow due to moisture, according to the CDC⁷. Water leaks fuel mold growth, but the Flo by Moen Smart Water Shutoff device is able to detect a leak of a single drop in a home, giving homeowners the ability to perform necessary maintenance before the leaks lead bigger problems. Flume allows homeowners to set a vacation mode, which alerts a neighbor of a water issue if you happen to be out of town.

Mercury Insurance has a broad array of optional coverages to protect against exposures faced by today's homeowners, including Home Systems Protection, Service Line Protection, Identity Management Services and Home Cyber Protection.

Tweet the news: Water smarts meet savings with the launch of @MercuryIns new smart home subsidy coupled with a homeowners discount. Check it out today. www.MercuryInsurance.com/leak-detection

About Mercury Insurance

Mercury Insurance (MCY) is a multiple-line insurance organization predominantly offering personal automobile, homeowners and business insurance through a network of independent agents in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia. Since 1962, Mercury has specialized in offering quality insurance at affordable prices. For more information, visit www.mercuryinsurance.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Flo by Moen

Flo by Moen is on a mission to prevent loss one drip at a time with its whole-home water monitoring and leak protection system. Flo by Moen's smart home water security system gives homeowners the products and information they need to proactively prevent water damage and unnecessary water waste. With decades of plumbing expertise, Flo is committed to helping prevent this water waste and protect every U.S. home from serious water damage. Flo is so confident in its system that it offers an optional guarantee of effectiveness for up to $5,000 towards your insurance deductible via its FloProtect™ Plan. To learn more, visit www.meetflo.com. Find Flo by Moen on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Flume

Inspired by California's record drought, Flume empowers homeowners to better understand their usage and conserve water. By providing real-time water use information, Flume protects the home, puts the power of water consumption and conservation in the customer's hands, and improves the relationship with our most precious resource. The Flume® Smart Water System consists of an easy-to-install sensor that adapts to most existing home water meters, which communicates water use to the homeowner in real-time. To date, Flume has tens of thousands of devices installed across the United States. Learn more at www.flumewater.com.

_________________________

¹ Savings may vary by homeowner. A $150 savings is based on a home valued at $2 million with Mercury Insurance providing a HO discount and subsidizing the product to calculate the cost of participating.
² LexisNexis Risk Solutions White Paper: Insights and Strategies for smart home insurance programs, Feb. 2020
³ Mercury Insurance Claims Data AY 2017 – 2020 Q3
⁴ https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/10/27/what-will-homes-be-worth-in-10-years
⁵ https://www.epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week
⁶ California water districts providing Flo by Moen and/or Flume rebates include: EBMUD (Bay Area); Foothill (La Canada/Flintridge); Sweetwater (Chula Vista); Helix (La Mesa); and Vista
⁷ https://www.cdc.gov/mold/faqs.htm