One does not have to measure something to require it.
The insurance company does not want stupid actions by the owner causing property losses. If you have utilities shut off to the property for a month in freezing winter weather and all of the pipes freeze, they’ll be able to determine that you did not maintain 16 degrees.
Theres a wide gap between freezing and 16 degrees.
Which suggests this is more about mold etc. If they don't want to cover frozen pipes then fair enough, they should really state that because then it becomes unclear what the situation is in the case of a garage or if you have a pipe in the attic or cellar.
It's likely not about any one type of damage in particular and more about 16 c being a reasonable lower bound for indoor temperatures of a properly maintained property. Nobody from the insurance company is going around checking to see if people's houses are 15.5 degrees so they can cancel their policies. Provisions like this are just a slightly more objective way to say "don't neglect your damn property".
Now this also doesn't mean that frozen pipes aren't covered. It is possible to have pipes freeze while keeping normal indoor air temps. Not all pipes are in conditioned space.
>Nobody from the insurance company is going around checking to see if people's houses are 15.5 degrees so they can cancel their policies.
No of course they won't. That would be giving up good money. Instead when you make a claim they'll reject it on some basis around the property not being kept at 16c.
