Skip to content

Home / Insurance broker / Personal

Household appliance insurance in Germany: cover for washing machines, fridges and cookers

The washing machine stops draining, the fridge runs warm, the hob shows nothing but an error code. Appliance cover and extended warranties pay for repairs once the manufacturer guarantee has run out. They are optional, and for many households they do not pay off. This page explains when they do.

The question almost everyone asks first

Do I need insurance for my household appliances in Germany?

Usually not. For two years the seller is liable for defects, contents insurance pays for lightning and, depending on the policy, power surges, and the consumer advice centre in Hamburg explicitly advises against appliance insurance. It is worth considering for an expensive new appliance if a large repair bill would hurt your budget and the premium is reasonable compared with the purchase price.

Statutory warranty, manufacturer guarantee and extended warranty

If a new appliance is faulty when you buy it, the seller must repair or replace it for two years. If the fault shows within the first year, German law has presumed since 2022 that it was there from the start. After that you have to prove it yourself, which rarely works for a worn drain pump.

A manufacturer guarantee is a voluntary extra on the maker's own terms. An extended warranty sold by a retailer is usually an insurance policy with its own wording. The German term Garantieverlängerung is not protected, so what counts is the policy text, not the label.

What German contents insurance covers for appliances

Hausratversicherung pays when something from outside damages the appliance: fire, lightning, burglary, escaping tap water and, in many policies, power surges. If your washing machine leaks, contents cover pays for your furniture, buildings cover for the floor, and your personal liability policy for the flat below.

It does not pay for the appliance breaking down by itself. Worn bearings, a dead control board or a heating element that gives up after six years are not insured events. That is the gap appliance cover is meant to close.

When appliance cover is not worth it

Add up the premiums over the whole term and compare them with the purchase price. The consumer advice centre in Hamburg describes a customer who insured a EUR 199 washing machine for EUR 8 a month and had paid more than EUR 800 after nine years, long after he had got rid of the machine.

For cheap appliances, appliances near the end of their life and households that can pay a repair from savings, your own savings account is almost always the better insurance. If you do sign up, note the cancellation deadline straight away.

What is covered

  • Breakdowns caused by material, design or manufacturing defects
  • Wear and tear on pumps, bearings, heating elements or seals, depending on the policy
  • User error and accidents, for example a cracked ceramic hob
  • Electronic faults in boards, displays and controls
  • Repair costs including parts, labour and call-out
  • Replacement if the appliance is beyond economic repair, often scaled by age
  • Spoiled food after a fridge or freezer breakdown, in some policies

What is not covered

  • Cosmetic damage such as scratches and dents without loss of function
  • Servicing, cleaning, descaling and consumables such as filters and bulbs
  • Faults that already existed when cover started
  • Damage from incorrect installation or repairs by unauthorised third parties
  • Commercial use, for example in a holiday let, unless agreed
  • Water damage to furniture and the building, which contents and buildings cover handle

Who needs it

  • Buyers of an expensive built-in appliance or a high-end washing machine
  • Households where a repair of several hundred euros would strain the budget
  • Families whose appliances run every day
  • Owners of several older large appliances who prefer a fixed monthly cost
  • Landlords of furnished flats, if the policy explicitly allows letting

Who does not need it

  • Cover for cheap appliances, where premiums reach the purchase price within a few years
  • An extra warranty for the first two years, when the seller's statutory warranty already applies

Wheel of misfortune

Spin the wheel of bad luck

Six things that really happen. The wheel picks yours and shows who pays.

See all six cases
  1. Drain pump fails after four years, repair, often a three-figure sum. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Whether the pump was faulty or simply worn decides the claim. Basic extended warranties usually exclude wear.
  2. Pan dropped on the ceramic hob, new hob including fitting. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: pays. A crack from an impact is not a defect. Only policies with user error and breakage pay.
  3. Freezer dies while you are away, repair and spoiled frozen food. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays in part. The repair is usually covered, spoiled food only in some policies and up to a limit.
  4. Lightning fries the dishwasher, new electronics or appliance. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays. Contents cover often pays here already if surges are included. Insuring twice is pointless.
  5. Nine-year-old washer beyond repair, share of the new price on a scale. Budget policy: pays in part, Strong policy: pays in part. When repair no longer pays, you only get part of the new price, and that share shrinks every year.
  6. Scratch on the fridge door, new door or foil. Budget policy: does not pay, Strong policy: does not pay. Cosmetic damage without loss of function is excluded almost everywhere.

What it costs

The premium mainly depends on the purchase price. Specialists charge monthly, retailers often sell extended warranties as a one-off payment for three or five years. On a partner page, Wertgarantie quotes EUR 3.50 a month for appliances up to EUR 350 and EUR 5.50 a month for appliances up to EUR 2,000 for its comprehensive cover.

ExampleTypical range
Comprehensive cover, appliance up to EUR 350EUR 3.50 a month
Comprehensive cover, appliance up to EUR 2,000EUR 5.50 a month

What drives the premium

  • Purchase price and type of appliance
  • Age of the appliance when cover starts
  • Basic extended warranty or cover including wear and user error
  • One-off or regular premium
  • Deductible per claim
  • Single appliance or several in one contract

Prices from one provider's undated partner page. Other providers and retailers price differently, often as a one-off payment. Your premium is only fixed in the quote.

The policy levels on the market

01

Basic extended warranty

Extends cover against material and manufacturing defects beyond the manufacturer guarantee. Wear and user error are usually excluded.

02

Appliance cover with accidents

Also pays for mishaps, breakage and electronic damage, depending on the policy with wear, call-out and spoiled food.

03

Home appliance assistance

Sends a technician and pays up to a fixed amount per call-out. Fast help, but with caps and age limits and no new appliance.

How to recognise a good policy

CriterionMinimum standardStrong policyWhy it matters
Wear and tear only material and manufacturing defects wear on bearings, pumps, heating elements and seals included Once the warranty has expired, appliances mostly fail through wear, not through a factory fault.
User error excluded user error and breakage included A pan dropped on a ceramic hob is not a defect and falls through every other net.
Payout if beyond repair current value on a sliding scale replacement value or purchase price for a longer period When a repair is uneconomic, the scale decides how much of the new appliance you pay yourself.
Extra costs parts and labour only also call-out, diagnosis, removal and installation For large appliances, call-out and diagnosis make up a noticeable part of the bill.
Choice of repairer approved partner only, after authorisation free choice of repairer, reimbursed against invoice In rural areas the nearest partner can be far away, and a fridge cannot wait a week.
Term and cancellation fixed term with automatic renewal cancellable monthly or with a clear end date If you sell or replace the appliance, you should not keep paying for something you no longer own.
Deductible fixed deductible per claim no deductible On a repair of a few hundred euros, a deductible eats up a large share of the payout.

Insurers on the German market

In Germany, appliance cover comes from specialists selling through retailers, as extended warranties from the big electronics chains with an insurer behind them, and as add-ons or assistance cover from mainstream property insurers. The list is a market overview.

InsurerBackground
WERTGARANTIEappliance cover specialist, sold through retailers and some manufacturer promotions
Zurichinsurer behind the extended warranty sold by MediaMarkt and Saturn
ERGOlong-term warranty for electrical appliances through partners, including user error
ADAChome appliance assistance that arranges a repairer
ARAGelectronics cover as an add-on to contents insurance

From the BaFin register

155

155 insurers supervised by BaFin, the German regulator, are licensed for this class of insurance.

(Hagel-, Frost- und sonstige Sachschäden)

Show all 155 names from the register
  • ACM Versicherung AG
  • ADAC Autoversicherung AG
  • ADAC Versicherung AG
  • ADAC Zuhause Versicherung AG
  • ADLER Versicherung AG
  • Allianz Direct Versicherungs-AG
  • Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE
  • Allianz Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Alte Leipziger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Ambra Versicherung AG
  • AMMERLÄNDER VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • andsafe Aktiengesellschaft
  • ARAG Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Astra Versicherung AG
  • AXA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • BA die Bayerische Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Badischer Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband
  • Baloise Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft Deutschland
  • Barmenia Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • BavariaDirekt Versicherung AG
  • Bayerische Hausbesitzer-Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Bayerische Landesbrandversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Bayerischer Versicherungsverband Versicherungsaktiengesellschaft
  • BD24 Berlin Direkt Versicherung AG
  • Bergische Brandversicherung Allgemeine Feuerversicherung V.a.G.
  • BGV-Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • CG Car-Garantie Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Concordia Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • CONSTANTIA Versicherungen a.G.
  • Continentale Sachversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Cosmos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DA Deutsche Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • DARAG Deutschland AG
  • Debeka Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft Sitz Koblenz am Rhein
  • Delvag Versicherungs-AG
  • DEVK Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • DEVK Deutsche Eisenbahn Versicherung Sach- und HUK-Versicherungsverein a.G. Betriebliche…
  • DFV Deutsche Familienversicherung AG
  • Dialog Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Die Haftpflichtkasse VVaG
  • DOCURA VVaG
  • Dolleruper Freie Brandgilde
  • Domestic & General Insurance Europe AG
  • ERGO Direkt Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ERGO Reiseversicherung AG
  • ERGO Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EUROPA Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • EXTREMUS Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Fahrlehrerversicherung Verein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Feuer- und Einbruchschadenkasse der BBBank in Karlsruhe, Versicherungsverein auf…
  • Feuersozietät Berlin Brandenburg Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • GARANTA Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gartenbau-Versicherung VVaG
  • Gebäudeversicherungsgilde für Föhr,Amrum und Halligen
  • Generali Deutschland Versicherung AG
  • GGG Kraftfahrzeug-Reparaturkosten-Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Gothaer Versicherungsbank VVaG
  • Great Lakes Insurance SE
  • GRUNDEIGENTÜMER-VERSICHERUNG Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • GVO Gegenseitigkeit Versicherung Oldenburg VVaG
  • GVV Direktversicherung AG
  • GVV-Kommunalversicherung, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Hagelgilde Versicherungsverein a.G., gegründet 1811
  • Hamburger Beamten-Feuer-und Einbruchskasse
  • Hamburger Feuerkasse Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Hamburger Lehrer-Feuerkasse
  • HanseMerkur Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HanseMerkur Reiseversicherung AG
  • Harsewinkeler Versicherung VaG
  • HDI Global SE
  • HDI Global Specialty SE
  • HDI Haftpflichtverband der Deutschen Industrie Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • HDI Versicherung AG
  • Helvetia Schweizerische Versicherungsgesellschaft AG Direktion für Deutschland
  • Helvetia Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • HUK-COBURG Haftpflicht-Unterstützungs-Kasse kraftfahrender Beamter Deutschlands a.G. in Coburg
  • HUK-COBURG-Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • HUK24 AG
  • Häger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Hübener Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • IDEAL Versicherung AG
  • INTER Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Interlloyd Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • InterRisk Versicherungs-AG Vienna Insurance Group.
  • ISSELHORSTER Versicherung V.a.G.
  • Itzehoer Versicherung/Brandgilde von 1691 Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Janitos Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-ALLGEMEINE Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • KRAVAG-LOGISTIC Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • Landschaftliche Brandkasse Hannover
  • LBN Versicherungsverein a.G. (VVaG)
  • Lehrer-Feuerversicherungsverein a.G. für Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg und Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
  • Lifestyle Protection AG
  • Lippische Landesbrandversicherung AG
  • Lucura Versicherungs AG
  • LVM Landwirtschaftlicher Versicherungsverein Münster a.G.
  • Mannheimer Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Markel Insurance SE
  • Mecklenburgische Versicherungs-Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Mercedes-Benz Versicherung AG
  • MVK Versicherung VVaG
  • MÜNCHENER VEREIN Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • NEH Neue Hildener Versicherung AG
  • Neodigital Versicherung AG
  • Neuendorfer Brand-Bau-Gilde
  • Newline Europe Versicherung AG
  • nexible Versicherung AG
  • Nordhemmer Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • NV-Versicherungen VVaG
  • NÜRNBERGER Allgemeine Versicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • NÜRNBERGER BEAMTEN ALLGEMEINE VERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • OKV - Ostdeutsche Kommunalversicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Ostangler Brandgilde, Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • OSTBEVERNER Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit (VVaG)
  • Pallas Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • ProTect Versicherung AG
  • Provinzial Nord Brandkasse Aktiengesellschaft
  • Provinzial Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • PVAG Polizeiversicherungs-Aktiengesellschaft
  • R+V Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Real Garant Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • RheinLand Versicherungs Aktiengesellschaft
  • Rhion Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • S DirektVersicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SAARLAND Feuerversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Schleswiger Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • SCHNEVERDINGER Versicherungsverein a.G.
  • SHB Allgemeine Versicherung VVaG
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SIGNAL IDUNA Unfallversicherung a. G.
  • Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Stuttgarter Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • SV SparkassenVersicherung Gebäudeversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • TRIAS Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Uelzener Allgemeine Versicherungs-Gesellschaft a.G.
  • Union Reiseversicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • uniVersa Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Vereinigte Hagelversicherung VVaG
  • Vereinigte Tierversicherung, Gesellschaft auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Versicherer im Raum der Kirchen Sachversicherung AG
  • Versicherungsverband Deutscher Eisenbahnen-Versicherungsverein auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • VHV Allgemeine Versicherung AG
  • Volkswagen Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • VOLKSWOHL-BUND SACHVERSICHERUNG AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
  • VPV Allgemeine Versicherungs-AG
  • Waldenburger Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • WERTGARANTIE SE
  • WGV-Versicherung AG
  • WWK Allgemeine Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Württembergische Gemeinde-Versicherung auf Gegenseitigkeit
  • Württembergische Versicherung Aktiengesellschaft
  • Würzburger Versicherungs-AG
  • Zurich Insurance Europe AG
  • Öffentliche Feuerversicherung Sachsen-Anhalt

Source: BaFin company database, 18 September 2026; EU insurers without a German office excluded.

Legal basis and sources

Products and add-ons

Extended warranty at the till

Offered for three or five years when you buy, usually as a one-off payment. Check whether wear and user error are included.

Appliance cover with monthly premium

Regular premium for a single appliance, often available for older appliances too. Keep an eye on the cancellation deadline.

Multi-appliance plan

Several large appliances of one household in one contract. Worth a look once washer, dryer and fridge are all out of warranty.

Home appliance assistance

Arranges a technician and pays up to a fixed amount per call-out. Quick help, but no replacement appliance.

Myth or truth

True or false?

Five things people say about this insurance. Guess first, then see the answer.

For two years the seller has to put a defect right.

This is true.

True, that is the statutory warranty. Since 2022 a defect appearing in the first year is presumed to have existed at purchase.

Contents insurance repairs my washing machine when it breaks.

This is false.

No. It pays for insured perils such as fire, lightning and, depending on the policy, surges, not for wear or an internal fault.

An extended warranty always covers wear and tear.

This is false.

Wrong. The German term is not protected, and basic offers only cover material and manufacturing defects.

Appliance cover can end up costing more than the appliance.

This is true.

True. The Hamburg consumer advice centre describes a EUR 199 washing machine on which more than EUR 800 in premiums had been paid after nine years.

Buying an extended warranty takes away my statutory rights.

This is false.

No. The statutory warranty and any guarantee apply side by side. The guarantee adds to your rights and takes nothing away.

Common mistakes

  • Paying for cover in the first two years that the statutory warranty already provides
  • Buying a basic extended warranty and assuming wear is included
  • Insuring a cheap appliance with a monthly premium that overtakes the purchase price
  • Letting the contract run on after selling or replacing the appliance
  • Booking a repairer yourself when the policy requires prior authorisation
  • Not keeping the receipt and rating plate details

Frequently asked questions

Questions and answers

Frequently asked

What is the difference between warranty and guarantee in Germany?

Gewährleistung is the statutory warranty: two years, against the seller who sold you the appliance.

Garantie is a voluntary promise, usually by the manufacturer, on its own terms.

Both apply side by side.

Does contents insurance pay for a broken washing machine?

Only if the cause is insured, such as fire, lightning or, depending on the policy, a power surge.

It does not pay for wear or a fault inside the appliance.

Who pays if the washing machine leaks?

Contents cover for your furniture, buildings cover for floors and walls,

and your personal liability policy for the flat below.

Leaving the machine running while you go out can lead to a reduced payout for gross negligence.

Does every extended warranty cover wear and tear?

No.

Basic extended warranties usually cover only material and manufacturing defects.

Wear and user error come only with broader policies.

Read the list of insured events, not the product name.

Can I still insure an older appliance?

With some providers, yes, often up to a maximum appliance age at the start and sometimes with a

waiting period.

Retailer extended warranties can usually only be bought at purchase or shortly after.

What happens if a repair is no longer worth it?

Many policies then pay part of the replacement price, scaled by the age of the appliance.

The older it is, the more of the new appliance you pay yourself.

How do I cancel appliance cover?

Within the deadlines in the contract.

With annual contracts, notice often has to arrive three months before the end of the policy year,

otherwise it runs for another year.

When you sell or replace the appliance, check whether cover ends or can be transferred.

Are appliances in a holiday let covered?

Often not.

Many policies exclude commercial or rented use.

If you want to cover appliances in a flat you let, you need a policy that explicitly allows it.

NAMMERT insurance broker

Request quotes for Appliance cover

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison, free of charge.

You can write in English.

1Who is it for?
2Which insurance?

Choose as many as you like. For each one, the details an insurer needs for a quote appear below.

Personal

Business

3Details

Household appliance insurance

4Your current policy
5How can we reach you?

Free of charge and without obligation. A person will get back to you.

Often goes with it

Boat or yacht? NAMMERT has its own cover concepts for boats, arranged by the same broker.

Boat insurance

Updated