These products offer a balance between low pricing and more features.
7+
Great
Competitive products within their group.
5+
Standard
Usually these products would either have fewer benefits or higher pricing.
0+
Basic
Offering basic cover with limited features or higher pricing.
Finder Score - Home insurance
We crunch eligible home insurance products in Australia to see how they stack up. We rank over 50 products on 16 different features, including price. We end up with a single score out of 10 that helps you compare home insurance a bit faster. We assess home and contents, building only and contents only products individually.
Motor burnout cover protects appliances like fridges and washing machines from sudden motor failure due to power issues.
Our research shows adding this cover typically costs around $100 yearly, potentially saving significant repair costs.
Always check exclusions for appliance age or existing warranties to ensure your specific items are covered.
Get motor burnout insurance to cover the cost if a motor in your electrical appliance goes bust. This includes household appliances like fridges, freezers, washing machines and even vacuum cleaners.
Motor burnout (sometimes known as 'fusion damage') usually happens as a result of a power surge or excessive current, such as a lightning strike. Sometimes, motor burnout insurance is included as standard in home and contents insurance policies but, more often, it's offered as an optional add-on.
What is motor burnout insurance?
Motor burnout insurance pays out when the motor in an electrical appliance suddenly dies. This is usually due to a power surge or excessive current, such as a lightning strike.
It's usually fairly inexpensive to add motor burnout insurance to a policy, but there are some key exclusions to be aware of.
How much does it cost?
The cost of motor burnout insurance varies depending on the value of appliances within your home, among other things like if you're the homeowner, a renter or even the landlord. To give you an idea on costs, we gathered quotes from a few different companies for a home and contents policy for a homeowner.
Our research shows that you could add cover to your home and contents policy for around $100 a year.*
Using the details for the same house, we requested quotes from five different insurers for a home and contents policy both with and without motor burnout insurance.
The house has a rebuild cost of $1 million and a contents value of $100,000. It's located in the Baulkham Hills suburb of north-west Sydney.
Quotes were last updated in April 2026.
Is motor burnout insurance worth it?
Imagine a lightning strike or power surge burns out the motors in your fridge, washing machine and dryer. You could also have a motor in an electric gate or garage doors. That could easily cost hundreds of dollars, or more, for replacement or repair.
However, in many cases, you can add motor burnout insurance to your home and contents policy for less than $100 a year. If you have lots of appliances in your home, or you live in an area prone to lightning strikes and power surges, it's well worth considering cover.
Some motor burnout policies also include coverage for spoiled goods. So if the motor in your fridge freezer burns out, you'll be covered for the value of lost food inside. For bigger families and anyone who likes to stock up, that could be worth hundreds of dollars.
Of course, if you have adequate surge protection, then motor burnout insurance might be low on your list of insurance requirements. Older appliances are often excluded from cover too, so check the product disclosure statement (PDS) carefully to see what the age limits are.
Motor burnout insurance covers the cost of repair or replacement if the electrical motor burns out in one of your appliances.
Types of appliances covered by this insurance include:
Fridges and freezers
Washing machines and dryers
Split-system air conditioners
Vacuum cleaners
Ceiling fans
Electric garage doors
Electric gates
The level of coverage will likely vary based on the age of the appliances. Older motors may cost more to insure than new appliances do; they also may receive a smaller benefit or may be excluded from coverage altogether.
Some policies can also include a food spoilage clause, so if the motor in your fridge freezer burns out, you'll be covered for the cost of the food inside.
What is fusion insurance?
Is it the same thing as motor burnout insurance? Pretty much. In fact, we checked a few policies and found that most insurers refer to it as 'motor burnout' instead of 'motor fusion'.
What kinds of exclusions are there?
Some common exclusions for motor burnout coverage are appliances that are:
More than 15 years old
Covered by a guarantee or warranty
Normal wear and tear
Used for a business
Not kept at your insured address
Each insurance type has a product disclosure statement (PDS) which you are encouraged to read to understand everything you are covered for and what you can claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
To make a motor burnout claim you generally need to contact your insurer as soon as possible. They will guide you through the process which usually involves submitting a claim form providing details of the incident, the appliance affected and any supporting evidence like photos or a repair quote. An assessor might need to inspect the damaged appliance before your claim can be approved.
Most motor burnout claims will require you to pay an excess. An excess is the out of pocket amount you contribute towards a claim. The exact amount of the excess will depend on your specific policy and insurer, so always check your product disclosure statement.
No, motor burnout insurance is typically an optional extra or add on to a standard home and contents insurance policy. You cannot usually purchase it as a separate standalone cover.
Motor burnout insurance generally covers a range of common household appliances such as fridges, washing machines and air conditioners. But cover for fixed outdoor appliances like pool pumps, bore pumps or spa motors can vary significantly between insurers. Always check your policy's product disclosure statement to confirm if these specific items are included.
The payout for a motor burnout claim is usually based on either new for old replacement or market value. New for old cover means your insurer will replace the burnt out appliance with a new one of similar features and capacity without deducting for depreciation. Market value cover means you receive the depreciated value of the appliance at the time of the burnout. Your policy document will specify which method applies to your cover.
Some insurance policies may have an initial waiting period before you can make a claim for motor burnout. This period typically ranges from a few days to a month or more from the policy's start date. It is important to review your product disclosure statement to understand if any waiting periods apply to your motor burnout cover.
Nicola Middlemiss is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience in personal finance and insurance. She has contributed to Domain, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Insurance Business Australia, offering in-depth insights into commercial insurance in the Australian market. Nicola holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Leeds and a Tier 1 General Insurance (General Advice) certification, which complies with ASIC standards.
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