I've just had my renewal from NFU and for the first time ever it's had a big rise in the premium
, about £60 per year for William and £40 for Louis.
I phoned and asked why, plus went through all the dog's details to make sure they've got them right. I was told that NFU, having held cover at much the same rate for a few years (which is true in my case and I've been with them 6 years) have applied a big rise across the board because of the increases in vet fees.
William has been insured with them for 6 years and in the last 2 years I've made substantial claims for the MRI scan etc. on his back and diagnosis and treatment of dry eye. They've also paid for his physio treatment, which some insurers won't. Louis has been insured for 1 year and I've not had to make a claim so far.
NFU provided me with a breakdown of the premiums for each dog. William's is more expensive as he's 6 and doesn't have any no claims bonus. Louis has 1 year no claims bonus and is only 1 year old, but the difference between the 2 premiums is not much really, so there hasn't been a big rise following William's claims. The excess for both of them is £50.
I've got what I think is very good cover - lifetime cover for any conditions they're diagnosed with and up to £4,000 per year per condition. So I know that William's Optimmune for his dry eye, at £38 per tube which lasts 6 weeks, is paid for throughout his life after the first £50 each year. If his disk problems get worse and he needs another scan or surgery that will be covered too.
Louis has the same cover and hasn't needed it so far, thank goodness. So I feel a bit like I'm getting good value for what I pay for William and not for Louis, but I know that's not true. It's there for Louis if I need it.
