Last updated: 2 February, 2021

What is appliance insurance?

Appliance insurance that covers repair costs for your appliances. This type of insurance is usually bought after the manufacturer's guarantee has expired.

If your fridge – for example – breaks down, appliance cover could pay out for the cost of repairing or replacing it.

A manufacturer’s warranty usually only lasts for a year or two. But standalone appliance insurance can cover your items for a lot longer. Appliance insurance is a bit like an extended warranty, but it’s usually cheaper and covers you for more.

What appliances can you get appliance insurance for?

Appliance insurance can cover things like your:

• Fridge

• Freezer

• Oven

• Hob

• Dishwasher

• Washing machine

• Tumble dryer

• Microwave

• TV

• Games consoles

For smaller items, you could look into gadget insurance. This is good for things like like tablets, mobile phones or laptops.

Do I need appliance insurance?

Your appliances are likely to be among the most expensive and best-used items in your home. They’re often things you couldn’t live without.

Appliance cover is handy if your appliance stops working its manufacturer's warranty. And it’s especially helpful if your appliance would be too expensive to replace. For example, if your fridge stopped working, could you afford a replacement?

When you buy an appliance, you’re likely to only get a year’s warranty – maybe two years if you’re lucky. You can extend your warranty, but this is often an expensive way of doing things. With appliance insurance, your appliances can be protected for a lot longer, for less.

Appliance insurance usually gives you more cover you’d get from the manufacturer’s guarantee or home insurance.

A manufacturer’s guarantee tends to cover mechanical faults. A home insurance policy usually covers accidental damage. With appliance insurance, you’ll be covered for a much wider range of possible eventualities.

What cover can you get with appliance insurance?

Most appliance insurance policies include cover for:

• Mechanical or electrical breakdown

• Parts, labour and call out charges

• Accidental damage

• Emergency repair and replacement.

What’s not covered by home appliance insurance?

Even the very best home appliance policies will have things that aren’t covered. The exclusions might include:

• Theft

• Accidental damage

• Cosmetic damage

• Wear and tear

• Appliances that are over a certain age

Appliances made by certain brands (although all major UK brands tend to be covered).

Accidental damage and theft might be covered by your home contents insurance.

Check the policy documents once you have your quotes, to make sure you get the cover you need. The policy documents should detail what you can claim for and what you can’t.

Here’s what appliance insurance covers

You should also take note of a few other things that could invalidate your home appliance insurance. You might not be covered if you:

• Leave your home unoccupied for 30 days or more

• Use an unauthorised repairer

• Cause deliberate damage to your appliance

• Fail to follow the manufacturer's instructions, such as overloading the washing machine

• Claim for an appliance you use for business, such as a washing machine used as part of a laundry service.

Can I cover multiple items at once with my appliance insurance?

Appliance insurance can be good value if you’re looking to insure multiple items at once.

Many providers of home appliance insurance offer discounts if you go for a multi-appliance policy. This is where you insure all your appliances together as a package.{' '}

A package covering lots of your appliances can also give you excellent peace of mind.

How much does appliance insurance cost?

This varies a lot, depending on a range of factors. The value of your appliances will influence the price. For this reason, insurance might want proof of how much you paid and when.

Which insurer you choose, and which of their policies you want will also affect the price. Plus, you’ll of course pay more to insure multiple appliances.

Is appliance cover worth the cost?

Work out how much your appliance would cost to replace. If it's less than the cost of home appliance insurance, you could be wasting your money.

Appliance insurance is generally worth having when your appliance’s warranty expires. Home appliance insurance can step in to provide cover. But be aware that with most white goods, insurance companies will only provide appliance cover up to a certain age.

Most appliance insurance policies include replacement cover if your item can’t be repaired. This could save you money if your appliance isn’t under the manufacturer's guarantee.

Should I get appliance insurance or an extended warranty?

When you buy your appliance, you’re likely to be offered the chance to take out an extended warranty on that item at the time of purchase. You’ll usually get a one-year manufacturer’s warranty as standard, but you can pay extra to extend that beyond the initial 12 months.

An extended warranty can often be expensive, and you can usually only take it out at the time of buying the item. It’s also likely to be limited to a specific number of years.

In contrast, you can take out appliance insurance whenever you like, as long as your items aren’t too old. You can usually find a good deal. Plus, you can insure multiple items at once, and you’ll get an even better deal if you do this.

Appliance insurance is also likely to cover you for more scenarios than an extended warranty will. A manufacturer’s warranty tends to only cover your appliance for mechanical breakdown.