We take household appliances like our washing machine, dishwasher, and fridge for granted. Once considered a luxury for only the very richest families, thankfully they’re now in all our homes making life a whole lot easier every day. Luckily, they also cost a lot less than their predecessors, but they don’t always last as long as you might expect. The Whitegoods Trade Association acknowledges that durability and longevity have been part of the trade-off when it comes to customer demand for slashed prices on household appliances. Since the millennium, the life expectancy of the average washing machine has dropped by three years. This means you can now expect the average machine to need replacing after seven years, with many lasting even less time.

If the thought of surviving without a washing machine, dishwasher, fridge or any other household appliance brings you out in a cold sweat, and you’d struggle to find the lump sum of cash to repair or replace it quickly, then home appliance insurance is a must. Follow our top 5 tips for your peace of mind.

1) Choose the right appliance insurance

Household appliance insurance can cover a wide range of items in your home including:

• Tumble dryers
• Washing machines
• Microwaves
• Electric ovens
• Electric hobs
• Fridges
• Freezers
• Dishwashers

You could opt to buy individual cover for one item or take out multiple cover that offers protection for more than one appliance.

As a general rule, household appliance insurance will cover the following costs:

• Mechanical breakdown
• Repair, including parts, labour and call-out charges
• Accidental damage

Insurance will normally cover the cost of repairs to your appliance, but if this is too high it will pay out for the cost of a replacement appliance.

2) Double check the date you bought your household appliance

When you buy a new appliance it normally comes with at least a year’s manufacturers’ warranty. During this time you’ll be covered for any mechanical defect. Once you’ve past this date, check with your normal household insurance to see if these household items are covered for repair or replacement by your policy. In many cases you might be covered if your appliances are damaged by a fire, but you won’t be covered for mechanical breakdown through normal wear and tear or through accidental damage. If your home insurance doesn’t provide enough cover, you’ll need to take out an extended warranty or appliance insurance for peace of mind your household appliances can be fixed or replaced if they break.

3) Read and follow the manufacturers’ guidelines and get appliances installed by professionals

Even if your appliance is within the manufacturer’s warranty, you won’t be covered if it breaks because of something you’ve done. Always read and follow the guidelines on use to make sure you don’t do anything, such as overloading your washing machine, which could invalidate your warranty.

It’s also worth noting that your manufacturer’s warranty could be invalidated if it goes wrong because it’s not been installed properly, so always use a professional for installation.

4) Check the small print

Carefully read your policy document or talk to your broker so you are clear that you have the level of cover that you want. To avoid getting a nasty shock, double check details like if your insurer will replace a broken appliance on a new for old basis, if you’re liable for call out costs if no fault is found, and if the delivery and installation costs of a replacement appliance is included.

5) Compare prices for the best value home appliance insurance

Don’t just take the insurance offered by the manufacturer or the shop where you bought it, as you can often get a much better price by arranging insurance yourself. Shop around or ask an expert broker like Easy2Insure to do this for you. We can save you time and money by getting a number of competitive quotes on appliance insurance from some of the UK’s leading insurance companies. We’re independent, so won’t push you to use a specific company – instead you can be reassured that we’ll simply find you the best price and cover option that we can.

Contact us now on 0800 9179522 or complete our form for a free quote for your washing machine insurance, dishwasher insurance, fridge freezer insurance or any other household appliance insurance.