{"id":578268,"date":"2026-06-26T14:12:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T13:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?page_id=578268"},"modified":"2026-06-26T14:22:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T13:22:26","slug":"home-appliance-insurance","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/home-insurance\/home-appliance-insurance","title":{"rendered":"Home appliance insurance compared"},"content":{"rendered":"

A broken down fridge or washing machine is one of those household hassles nobody wants to deal with. Not only do you have to call someone out, there’s also the inconvenience of paying for a repair or even a brand new appliance. <\/p>

To help protect against these expenses, many people choose to take out home appliance insurance. This can cover the cost of repairs and even replacement if something goes wrong.<\/p>

What is home appliance insurance?<\/h3>

Home appliance insurance is a type of insurance policy that will cover the cost of repairing or replacing household items, such as your dishwasher, TV or washing machine, if they suffer a mechanical or electrical breakdown. <\/p>

If this happens, all you need to do is pick up the phone and call your insurance company (some offer 24\/7 helplines) who will arrange for someone to come out to see what the problem is and, hopefully, fix it. <\/p>

You may have to pay an excess towards the claim, but the good news is the rest of the expense should be covered by your policy – whether that’s repair or replacement. Policies typically last for 12 months, at which point you can renew.<\/p>

When to get home appliance insurance<\/h3>

Home appliance insurance could be worth considering if you own a particularly flashy appliance that could be expensive to repair if it breaks down (that nice TV and sound system, for instance). It can also be useful if you own an older appliance that might stop working in the near future, although be aware that not all policies will cover appliances over a certain age. <\/p>

Another potential reason to think about appliance cover if the manufacturer’s warranty – which usually lasts 1 or 2 years – has expired. Although you can pay to extend this, an extended warranty typically only covers one item, whereas home appliance insurance usually covers multiple items. <\/p>

Keep in mind that while home contents insurance should cover your appliances against fire, flood and theft, and potentially accidental damage if you have added this to your policy, you won’t typically be covered for mechanical breakdowns. <\/p>

When not to get home appliance insurance<\/h3>

If your appliance is still under warranty, you won’t need separate appliance insurance as you’ll already be covered if it breaks down. <\/p>

You also won’t need it if the appliance is less than 6 months old as you’ll be covered by the Consumer Rights Act 2015. In a nutshell, this means that if your appliance is not of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, or as described, you should be able to get a free repair or replacement.<\/p>

What’s more, if you paid for the appliance with your credit card, Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act covers you if the appliance costs more than \u00a3100 and up to \u00a330,000, and your card provider is jointly liable with the retailer if something goes wrong. <\/p>

It’s also worth double checking your home contents insurance policy to see whether it offers any kind of cover for home appliances – or whether you have a packaged back account that might include some sort of cover too.<\/p>

Finally, if you have a decent amount saved up in an emergency savings pot, you might feel that it’s simply not worth paying out for an appliance insurance policy, as your savings could cover the cost of any repairs.<\/p>

What’s covered?<\/h3>

Home appliance insurance can provide cover for multiple items including your household white goods, plus your TV, games consoles and microwave.<\/p>

A policy typically covers the cost of an engineer coming out to your home to repair your broken appliance, although for a smaller item, you may be asked to take it somewhere so it can be assessed. <\/p>

Most policies cover the cost of labour and parts and if the appliance can’t be repaired, it will often be replaced on a like-for-like basis. This basically means you should receive a new appliance that has the same or equivalent features. <\/p>

Many home appliance policies also cover accidental damage. <\/p>

What’s not covered? <\/h3>

It’s important to check your policy for exact exclusions, but you’ll typically find that appliance insurance won’t cover you for the following:<\/p>