Insurance
The winners and losers of the pet insurance postcode lottery
Pet owners in London face the prospect of paying three times more to insure their pets compared to those in Scotland.
Moneysupermarket analysed millions of pet insurance quotes for two of the UK’s most popular dog breeds – Labradors and French Bulldogs – to identify where premiums are cheapest and most expensive in Britain.
When it comes to insuring a four-year-old Labrador, the research found that five of the 10 most expensive postcodes are in the capital. West London came top at £585, followed by North London (£496), North West London (£428), East London (£423) and South East London (£443).
The cheapest place is Dumfries in Scotland where insurance costs just £198, followed closely by Kirkwall where a premium costs £203. Cornwall and Durham also featured among the cheapest places to own a Labrador.
It’s a similar story for owners of French Bulldogs, with London postcodes dominating the most expensive areas to get cover and Dumfries coming in once again as the cheapest.
If you live in North, North West, West or East London you could be looking at anything from £1,019 to £1,093 to insure your dog, compared to just £496 in Dumfries and Galloway.
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Rose Howarth, head of pet insurance at Moneysupermarket, said: “As well as age, medical history and current state of health, the type of dog or cat can have a big influence on the cost of cover. But regardless of what type of pet you have or where you live, it always pays to shop around for cover to see what policies and prices are best suited to your pet and your budget.
“Shopping around also gives you a great chance of getting a deal – if you switch to a lifetime policy you could save up to 67% on your insurance bills.”
Here are the most expensive annual policies for a four-year-old Labrador:
| Rank | Area | Price |
| 1 | West London | £585 |
| 2 | Romford | £516 |
| 3 | North London | £496 |
| 4 | Harrogate | £445 |
| 5 | Tunbridge | £436 |
| 6 | North West London | £428 |
| 7 | East London | £423 |
| 8 | South West London | £423 |
| 9 | Stevenage | £416 |
| 10 | Redhill | £414 |
This is how the cheapest annual policies for a four-year-old Labrador compare:
| Rank | Area | Price |
| 1 | Dumfries and Galloway | £199 |
| 2 | Kirkwall | £204 |
| 3 | Truro | £219 |
| 4 | Durham | £221 |
| 5 | Perth | £222 |
| 6 | Kirkcaldy | £223 |
| 7 | Carlisle | £225 |
| 8 | Dundee | £226 |
| 9 | Hereford | £227 |
| 10 | Oldham | £230 |
Source: Moneysupermarket