Pet insurance – are you paying more than you need?

Take out your pet insurance as early in your pet’s life as possible. You can usually start at 8 weeks for a puppy or kitten – some insurers will let you start as early as 5 weeks. The younger your pet is, the lower the premiums are. Make sure the policy doesn’t have age bands so that the premium increases every few years.

Look out for sales and special offers. But be very careful to check what charges you will be paying when the special offer ends.

Reduce risks as far as possible. For instance some pet insurance providers offer lower premiums if the pet is microchipped. Keep an eye open for specific ways to reduce costs.

Check the pet insurance policy carefully to see what it covers. If the cover includes something you will never use, ask if the item can be deleted for a cheaper premium. If the answer is No, look elsewhere.

See if you fit into a category for whom discounts are offered, such as student, pensioner, or someone with a disability.

Look for cashback schemes.

Haggle. Once you have found your cheapest quote, use it as a “weapon” to go to other pet insurance providers and see if you can get some off. This does sometimes work!

Just going for the cheapest policy without checking that it covers what you need to cover. Otherwise, however little you are paying, it is wasted!

If premium costs are kept low by imposing excesses, failing to check what the excesses are and whether they are worthwhile. For instance, if there is an excess of £50 per treatment, and your pet requires a series of treatments costing £40 a time, this could prove VERY expensive and none of it will be covered! So your cheaper premium is not so cheap after all.