Home Appliance Insurance Northern Ireland

Home Appliance insurance guide

Homeowners in Northern Ireland may have in their household many home appliances. Fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer. Kettle, toaster – the list could be endless. Depending on the appliance size and function the initial purchase cost may vary. Some appliances are essential to the efficiency of modern day life and so to be without some appliances even for a short time could be a big inconvenience.

For many households coming home to a leaking washing machine, a dishwasher with an error light or worse still no power at all or a freezer that has defrosted without warning could be both costly and damage causing. Having home appliance insurance in place could help in these situations.

What is home appliance insurance?

Some appliances that breakdown within around a year (sometimes longer) may be covered by the manufacturer’s guarantee. Therefore this means it could be repaired or replaced by the manufacturer at no cost to the householder. Outside this period it could get tricky to get a repair or replacement free of charge and repair costs or to outlay for a new washer or fridge etc could get expensive very quickly.

Home appliance insurance might be exactly what could help in these circumstances. For items that have broken and are outside the manufacturer’s guarantee then this kind of domestic appliance cover could be just the thing. If an appliance such as a tumble dryer develops a mechanical or electrical problem then it could well be covered under such an appliance protection plan such as this. Whilst this kind of appliance warranty cover doesn’t usually include accidental damage it could really depend on the kind of plan purchased. Appliance insurance may have restrictions on the age and value of the appliance so it is usually a good idea to fully research any policy and compare home appliance cover ahead of signing up to anything.

Buying home appliance cover

Many people might find that they are sold domestic appliance cover at the point of sale (or that someone tries to sell them it!). However, there is no reason to purchase at this time and it is probably a good idea to evaluate any multi appliance cover separate to any purchase.

What different type of home appliance cover is there?

This kind of insurance could also be known by a different name and this guide includes some of the most common ones here: kitchen appliance cover, household appliance cover, multi appliance cover and appliance protection plan.

What is home insurance?

Home insurance may offer insurance protection for individuals looking to protect the building and contents of their home. Home appliance cover should not be confused with home insurance as they are typically very different in nature.

Home insurance generally falls into two categories; buildings insurance and home contents cover. With buildings cover this is generally suitable for home owners and could provide protection for the building structure and anything fixed in the property. Home contents insurance might offer cover for everything a person brings into the property such as all their furniture and belongings. A person that only rents a property may only require home contents cover.

Before taking out any NI home appliance insurance it could be worthwhile to invest in home contents cover first. The latter may be able to cover the cost of repurchasing items for a home if they are damaged or stolen.

Contents cover may offer financial protection in the event of accidental damage but is unlikely to offer any kind of recompense in the event of any appliance breaking down. This could be where warranty cover protection could step in.

Single item limit

Similar to home contents cover it is highly likely that any home appliance warranty has a maximum limit on any claim for one item. As a result it could be worthwhile for anything of a higher than average value is listed separately on any kitchen appliance cover policy. For anything that may be considered an expensive single item it could be the case that a higher premium may be due.

Purchasing kitchen appliance cover

When it comes to purchasing any domestic appliance insurance in Northern Ireland then the best course of action could be to compare NI home appliance cover directly with warranty insurance companies. Whilst it may be commonplace to be offered this kind of insurance policy at the point of sale there is no reason not to search independently for it. Getting this kind of policy might even mean having a cheap home appliance insurance policy that gives reassurance when owning an expensive of highly used item such as a washing machine or fridge/freezer. Being without such an item could be very inconvenient and having appliance cover in place could mean getting a replacement or repair with a minimum amount of hassle to the owner or policyholder.

What is extended warranty?

Having extended warranty on a kitchen appliance could be very different to taking out home appliance insurance. An extended warranty may only apply to a single appliance whereas kitchen appliance cover may protect any kitchen item in an NI household. As with any insurance policy purchase it could be worthwhile to spend some time researching the available products to ensure that it offers value for money to the homeowner when evaluated against the cost of replacing an item. Finding home appliance insurance may be much easier when comparing policies together.