Dr Mobeus
Pet Insurance Is Expensive – But You Do Not Have to Overpay
The average pet insurance premium in the UK is £35 a month for a dog and £18 a month for a cat. Over a typical pet’s lifetime, that is £4,000-6,000 for dogs and £2,500-3,500 for cats. And those figures are going up – premiums rose 15-20% in 2025 alone.
But here is the thing: most pet owners are paying more than they need to. Whether you are insuring a new puppy, kitten, or an older pet, there are genuine ways to cut your premium by 30-50% without leaving yourself under-covered.
Here are 8 ways to save money on pet insurance that actually work in 2026.
1. Compare Every Year – Loyalty Costs You Money
This is the single biggest saving you can make. Insurance companies offer new customers lower prices to win their business, then creep the price up each year knowing most people will not bother switching.
According to the Financial Conduct Authority, loyal customers pay on average 15-30% more than new customers for the same level of cover. For a dog, that could mean overpaying by £70-180 a year.
What to do: Every year at renewal, get quotes from at least 5 insurers. Use comparison sites like Compare the Market, Go Compare and MoneySuperMarket to check prices. Then go back to your current insurer with the cheapest quote and ask them to match it. Most will.
Key comparison sites for pet insurance:
- Compare the Market – Good range of providers, easy to filter by cover level
- GoCompare – Shows policy details clearly, includes specialist insurers
- MoneySuperMarket – Often has exclusive deals not available elsewhere
- Confused.com – Quick quotes, includes lifetime cover options
- Direct from insurers – Always check direct prices too, as comparison sites add commission
2. Choose the Right Excess
Your excess is the amount you pay towards a claim. A higher excess means a lower premium – it is that simple.
Most pet insurers offer a compulsory excess (usually £60-100) and a voluntary excess on top. Increasing your voluntary excess from £0 to £200 can cut your premium by 15-25%.
The sweet spot: Set your total excess at a level you could comfortably afford if your pet needed treatment. For most people, that is £150-250. You save on every monthly payment, and you only pay the excess if you actually claim.
Do the maths: if increasing your excess from £100 to £250 saves you £8 a month (£96 a year), you are better off unless your pet needs more than one claim per year. For young, healthy pets, that is a bet worth taking.
Multi-Pet Discounts Save 10-15%
If you have more than one pet, insure them with the same company. Almost every major pet insurer offers a multi-pet discount of 10-15% per additional pet.
For two dogs costing £35 and £28 a month separately, a 10% multi-pet discount saves you £7.56 a month or £90.72 a year. For three or more pets, the savings stack up fast.
Top multi-pet discounts:
- ManyPets – 10% discount for each additional pet
- Animal Friends – Up to 15% multi-pet discount
- Petplan – 10% for second and subsequent pets
- Admiral – 10% multi-pet discount
- Waggel – 15% for additional pets
Even if the individual premiums are slightly higher than the cheapest single-pet quote, the multi-pet discount can make the overall cost lower. Always compare the total cost for all pets together.
4. Pick the Right Cover Level
Pet insurance comes in four main types, and the price difference is massive:
- Accident only – £5-10/month. Covers injuries from accidents only. Cheapest but most limited.
- Time-limited – £10-20/month. Covers each condition for 12 months only. After that, the condition is excluded. Fine for one-off injuries but useless for ongoing conditions.
- Maximum benefit – £15-30/month. Covers each condition up to a set amount (usually £1,000-3,000). Once you hit that limit, the condition is excluded.
- Lifetime – £20-60/month. The most comprehensive. Covers conditions up to a set amount each year, and the amount resets each year. Best for long-term conditions like arthritis, diabetes or skin problems.
The mistake most people make: Going for lifetime cover because it sounds best, when their pet is young and healthy with no known conditions. A 2-year-old Labrador on lifetime cover might cost £45 a month. The same dog on maximum benefit cover might cost £22 a month. That is £276 a year saved.
You can always upgrade to lifetime cover when your pet is older and more likely to need ongoing treatment. Just be aware that any conditions that develop before you switch will not be covered by the new policy.
5. Pay Annually Instead of Monthly
Most insurers charge interest on monthly payments – typically 10-20% APR. That means a policy that costs £300 a year paid monthly could actually cost £330-360.
Paying annually avoids the interest charge entirely. If you cannot afford a lump sum, consider putting the annual cost on a 0% purchase credit card and paying it off monthly – you still save on the insurance interest.
Typical savings: Paying annually rather than monthly saves 10-20% on the total cost. For a £35/month dog policy, that is £42-84 a year saved.
6. Neuter Your Pet for a Discount
Most insurers offer a discount of 5-10% for neutered pets. The logic is simple: neutered animals are less likely to roam, fight, or develop certain health problems (including some cancers and infections).
But the savings do not stop at insurance. Neutering also prevents:
- Unwanted pregnancies – A litter of puppies or kittens costs far more than the neutering
- Certain cancers – Eliminates testicular cancer risk in males and reduces mammary cancer risk in females
- Roaming and fighting injuries – Neutered pets are calmer and less likely to get into scrapes
If you have not neutered your pet yet, some insurers will apply the discount from the date of the procedure. Others require the pet to be neutered before the policy starts. Check the terms.
7. Consider a Pet Health Plan Instead
Pet health plans are not insurance – they are subscription plans that cover routine care like vaccinations, flea and worm treatment, health checks and dental work. They cost £10-20 a month and can be a good alternative for young, healthy pets.
The key difference: insurance covers unexpected illness and injury. A health plan covers expected, routine care. Some people do both, but for young pets with no health issues, a health plan plus emergency savings might be cheaper than full insurance.
Popular pet health plans:
- Pets at Home VIP Club – From £11.49/month, includes vaccinations, flea and worm, health checks, 10% off everything in store
- Vet health plans – Most local vets offer their own plans, often including unlimited consultations. Check with your vet.
- Paws Club – From £13.49/month, includes all routine care plus 20% off certain treatments
Do the maths on what you actually spend on routine care each year. If it is less than the health plan costs, skip it and pay as you go.
8. Start Young – Premiums Rise with Age
Pet insurance premiums increase as your pet ages. A policy that costs £20 a month for a 1-year-old dog might cost £60+ for an 8-year-old. And if you wait until your pet is older to get insurance, pre-existing conditions will not be covered.
The best time to insure your pet is when they are young and healthy. You lock in a lower starting premium, and any conditions that develop later will be covered because they were not pre-existing when the policy started.
If you have an older pet and are struggling with the cost:
- Shop around at every renewal – Do not auto-renew. Prices vary massively between insurers for older pets.
- Consider accident-only cover – If your pet is 10+ with several pre-existing conditions, accident-only cover costs £5-15/month and still protects against the unexpected.
- Self-insure – Put the equivalent of the monthly premium into a savings account. If your pet needs treatment, you have the money. If they do not, you keep it.
What Pet Insurance Should Actually Cover
Do not just go for the cheapest policy. A policy that does not pay out when you need it is not cheap – it is a waste of money. Make sure your policy covers:
- Vet fees – At least £4,000 per condition per year. £7,000+ is better.
- Third party liability – For dogs only. Covers damage or injury caused by your dog. Essential.
- Emergency boarding – Covers kennel/cattery fees if you are hospitalised and cannot care for your pet.
- Dental treatment Many policies exclude this or charge extra. Check carefully.
- Euthanasia and cremation – Not something anyone wants to think about, but worth having.
Watch out for: Per-condition limits that seem generous but do not reset each year, compulsory excesses that are added on top of your voluntary excess, and “co-insurance” clauses where you pay a percentage of each claim on top of the excess.
The Bottom Line
Pet insurance is not optional if you could not afford a £2,000-5,000 vet bill tomorrow. But you also should not overpay for it. Compare every year, choose the right level of cover for your pet’s age and health, increase your excess, and pay annually. Those three steps alone can save you £150-300 a year.
For more ways to save on pet costs, check out our guide to saving money on pet costs in 2026.
