Compare our best domestic appliance insurance

What is domestic appliance insurance?

Appliance insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing your household appliances. For example, if your fridge breaks down, domestic appliance cover could help you get it back up and running or pay for a new one if it’s beyond repair.

For smaller items, consider gadget insurance. This is suitable for items like tablets, mobile phones or laptops.

Do I need appliance insurance?

Your appliances are among the most-expensive and most-used items in your home. They’re often devices you couldn’t live without – if your fridge stopped working, for example, could you afford a replacement? If the answer is no, appliance insurance may be just the thing.

A manufacturer’s warranty offers some protection, but these typically only last a year or two. Standalone appliance insurance – usually bought after the manufacturer’s cover period has expired – covers your items for much longer, and can work out cheaper than signing up for an extended warranty.

Accidental damage and theft might already be covered by your home contents insurance, so check to see if this is the case.

Also check the policy documents once you have your quotes to ensure you get the cover you need. The policy documents should detail what you can and can’t claim for.

Here’s what appliance insurance covers.

Keeping your appliance insurance valid

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

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 offer discounts if you opt for a multi-appliance policy. This type of policy covers some or all your appliances together as a package, which can give you complete peace of mind.

How much does appliance insurance cost?

The price of appliance insurance varies depending on a range of factors. One is the value of your appliances, and an insurance provider might ask for proof of how much you paid and when.

Different insurers offer different prices, and individual policies and levels of coverage affect the price too. You’ll pay more if you’re looking to cover multiple appliances.

Should I get appliance insurance or an extended warranty?

When you buy an appliance, you’re likely to be offered the chance to take out an extended warranty at the time of purchase. You 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 is often 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, appliance insurance can be taken out whenever you like as long as your items aren’t too old, and multiple items can be insured at once, which is likely to offer better value.

Here’s how to decide if an extended warranty is worth the cost.