Drewberry™ uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By continuing to use our website you agree to the use of cookies including for ad personalization.
If you would like to know more about cookies and how to manage them please view our privacy & cookie policy.
Although millions of Britons are now turning to vaping as an alternative to smoking, many UK insurers are still likely to class you as a smoker when applying for life cover. Here’s what you need to know about the impact of vaping on Life Insurance.
As of August 2024, 11% of the UK population (equal to 5.6 million Britons) uses vapes, with more than half of these being ex-smokers. While some may view this as a “healthier” alternative to smoking, UK insurers have yet to be convinced of the benefits. In almost all cases, vaping is treated exactly the same as smoking for insurance purposes, and you could face premium hikes of 100% or more.
It’s not just vaping that can bump up the cost of insurance. Insurers will also increase your Life Insurance premiums if you use e-cigarettes, patches or nicotine gum.
Probably the best rule to keep in mind is that if you inhale, chew or absorb anything that contains nicotine, UK insurers will treat you as a smoker and pretty much double your insurance premiums.
We’ve also had clients who saw their premiums loaded after they admitted smoking a hookah on holiday and, on one occasion, a client who revealed that they’d tried a cigarette once at a party and their premiums were loaded just the same!
The point is that insurers still tend to look on patches, gum and vaping as “crutches”, used by those who are likely to drift back to smoking cigarettes once more. Don’t forget that nicotine is one of the most addictive substances out there.
Life Insurance for smokers generally costs twice as much for non-smokers, and it rises even higher if you’re still smoking in your forties. Meanwhile, smokers also tend to pay at least 25% more for Income Protection Insurance.
Thanks to the continued success of nationwide quitting campaigns such as National No Smoking Day, several million Britons claim to have kicked the habit in recent years.
When it comes to Life Insurance, after a year of staying away from nicotine, former smokers can apply to have their insurance re-rated. They just need to sign a non-smoker declaration and take a simple cotinine test that’s administered by their doctor.
Providing that the test shows no cotinine – a chemical formed by the breakdown of nicotine in your body – in your blood stream, your insurer should recalculate your premiums and lower the cost of your insurance.
Those who take the time to get tested could potentially halve the price of their insurance, but it seems that most former smokers forget to cash in after they’ve done all the hard work!
Tom Conner
Director at Drewberry
If you’re worried about getting Life Insurance as a smoker/ex-smoker, we’re here to help. We live and breathe insurance, and are here to chat about what’s best for you.
No fees, just free advice and access to the most competitive rates. Give us a call on 02084327333 or email us at help@drewberry.co.uk.
When it comes to protecting yourself and your finances, you deserve first-class service. Here’s why you should talk to us:
