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Evidence · Home and contents insurance

Every question, every answer, every source

Explore all 372 home and contents insurance questions and the 1,476 answers saved on 11 October 2026. Read the original responses and download the tables behind the study’s comparisons, sources, sentiment and factual checks.

questions
372
answers saved, of 1488 planned
1476
consumer situations
12
named regions
16
AI platforms
4

01

Every question, with its answers

Each question went to the four AI platforms. All were collected with a New Zealand setting. Open a question to read every captured answer in full.

Showing 20 of 372 questions

Show all 372

02

The tables behind the study

Every figure on the study page comes from these tables. They are CSV files, which open in any spreadsheet.

  • Questions

    questions.csv

    One row per question, with its exact saved wording.

    Question ID, source references, question, consumer situation, named regions, question group and collection setting

    372rows

    Download questions (CSV)

  • Answers

    answers.csv

    One row per captured answer, with its full text.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, collection setting, consumer situation, named regions and full answer

    1,476rows

    Download answers (CSV)

  • Sources by answer

    sources.csv

    One row per website recorded as a source of an answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, assistant, collection setting, website and publisher type

    9,014rows

    Download sources by answer (CSV)

  • Checks against primary sources

    checks.csv

    One row per stated assertion checked, for one platform.

    Check, question and answer IDs, assistant, exact passage, verdict, primary-source finding, URL and date

    97rows

    Download checks against primary sources (CSV)

  • Consumer recommendation coding

    consumer-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a consumer-selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, counted recommendation, exact passage and conditions

    659rows

    Download consumer recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Consumer selection membership

    consumer-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched consumer-selection comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; twelve home and twelve contents selection questions, with missing captures preserved

    94rows

    Download consumer selection membership (CSV)

  • Ongoing support coding

    support-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed named-provider role in an eligible support answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, provider, role, support-preference decision and exact passage

    75rows

    Download ongoing support coding (CSV)

  • Ongoing support membership

    support-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the actual consumer-support group.

    Answer ID, question ID, consumer, platform, question group and full text; acquisition validation is excluded

    71rows

    Download ongoing support membership (CSV)

  • Regional recommendation coding

    regional-recommendation-coding.csv

    One row per reviewed provider role in a region-named selection answer.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform, provider, recommendation decision and exact passage

    1,017rows

    Download regional recommendation coding (CSV)

  • Regional selection membership

    regional-selection-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the matched regional comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, named consumer region, platform and equal-comparison membership; four home and three contents platform answers per region

    112rows

    Download regional selection membership (CSV)

  • Insurer sentiment

    insurer-sentiment.csv

    One row per unique saved claim about an insurer in a selection answer.

    Claim, question and answer IDs, insurer, saved stance, exact passage and original-answer offsets

    3,828rows

    Download insurer sentiment (CSV)

  • Recorded source URLs

    source-urls.csv

    One row per recorded answer, website and URL association.

    Answer ID, question ID, platform, website, URL, source records and presence in the captured answer text

    13,048rows

    Download recorded source urls (CSV)

  • Matched consumer platform membership

    platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, consumer and platform; 22 identical questions per platform

    88rows

    Download matched consumer platform membership (CSV)

  • Matched regional platform membership

    regional-platform-membership.csv

    One row per answer in the identical-question regional platform comparison.

    Answer ID, question ID, product, region and platform; 31 identical questions per platform

    124rows

    Download matched regional platform membership (CSV)

Use these tables to trace findings back to the original questions and answers. The full text of each answer is also on this page, under its question.

03

Read in full and checked

Some answers were read in detail or checked against official sources. Those appear on the study page, beside the findings they support.

ChatGPT · New Zealand

Would taking a much higher contents insurance excess save enough money to be worth the risk?

Yes, it can be worth taking a much higher contents insurance excess in New Zealand — but only if the premium saving is large enough and you can comfortably pay the excess if something goes wrong. A higher excess is essentially you agreeing to self-insure more of the smaller losses in exchange for cheaper cover. Consumer NZ

A simple way to judge it:

1. Work out the “break-even” point

Ask your insurer:

  • Current excess: $___
  • Higher excess: $___
  • Annual premium saving: $___

Then calculate:

Extra excess you’re taking on ÷ annual saving = years until the risk “pays off”

Example:

  • Current excess: $500
  • Higher excess: $2,000
  • Extra risk you accept: $1,500
  • Premium saving: $150/year

$1,500 ÷ $150 = 10 years

In that example, you’d need roughly 10 claim-free years before the savings outweigh the extra amount you might have to pay on a claim.

2. A high excess usually makes sense if:

  • You have enough cash available to pay it immediately.
  • You would only claim for major events (fire, burglary, serious damage), not small losses.
  • You have relatively low claim frequency.
  • The premium reduction is meaningful (for example, hundreds rather than a few dollars a year). Consumer NZ

3. It may not be worth it if:

  • A $1,500–$2,500 bill would put you into debt.
  • You are likely to claim for smaller incidents.
  • Your belongings are valuable but you don’t have emergency savings.
  • The insurer only reduces the premium slightly.

A common middle-ground approach

Many New Zealand households choose something like:

  • Keep insurance for catastrophic losses.
  • Accept a higher excess.
  • Build an “insurance excess fund” in a savings account.

For example, moving from a $500 excess to a $1,500 or $2,000 excess can sometimes cut premiums substantially, while still leaving protection for losses that would be difficult to absorb. Consumer NZ notes that increasing a contents excess can reduce premiums, but cautions against choosing an excess you could not afford at claim time. Consumer NZ

If you tell me:

  1. your current excess,
  2. the higher excess you’re considering,
  3. your annual premium now and after the change, and
  4. roughly how much your contents are insured for,

I can calculate whether the trade-off looks favourable.

Ask anything

ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info.

Captured 11 October 2026

Gemini · New Zealand

Would taking a much higher contents insurance excess save enough money to be worth the risk?

Taking a higher contents insurance excess can be a smart way to lower your annual premium, but whether it is "worth the risk" depends entirely on your cash flow, savings buffer, and how often you make claims.

An analysis of the financial trade-offs, break-even timelines, and how to evaluate if it fits your situation includes the following framework:

1. How the Math Works (The Break-Even Point)

When you increase your excess (e.g., jumping from a $250 or $400 excess up to $1,000), your insurer reduces your annual premium. To figure out if it makes financial sense, look at the break-even period:

$$\text{Years to Break Even} = \frac{\text{Increase in Excess}}{\text{Annual Premium Savings}}$$

  • Example Scenario: If raising your contents insurance excess by $500 saves you $150 a year on your premium, your break-even point is $3.3$ years ($500 / $150$).
  • The Verdict: If you go longer than 3.3 years without making a claim, you come out financially ahead. If you make a claim within that window, you will likely pay out more in the higher excess than you saved in premiums.

2. When a Higher Excess Is Worth It

  • You have a solid emergency fund: You have cash sitting in a separate account that could easily absorb the higher excess on day one without needing to rely on a credit card or overdraft.
  • You rarely or never claim: Contents insurance is designed primarily to protect you from catastrophic, high-cost events (like a major house fire, burglary, or severe storm damage) rather than minor wear-and-tear. If you have a clean claims history over many years, you are statistically likely to save money over time by self-insuring the smaller risks.
  • The premium discount is substantial: If an extra $500 of risk only saves you $30 a year, the risk is rarely worth taking. However, if it saves you $150 to $200+ annually, the mathematical incentive is much stronger.

3. When a Higher Excess Is NOT Worth the Risk

  • It would force you into debt: If paying a $1,000 or $2,000 excess means scrambling for cash or putting an unexpected expense onto high-interest debt (like a credit card), a higher excess defeats the safety-net purpose of insurance.
  • You live in a higher-risk area or rental situation: If your likelihood of making a claim is higher due to location, shared security risks, or household demographics, the odds shift back toward keeping your excess low.
  • The psychological stress isn't worth it: If worrying about an unexpected out-of-pocket lump sum causes you continuous financial anxiety, the peace of mind offered by a lower excess has real value.

Action Plan: How to Decide

  1. Check your current policy: Look up what your current contents insurance excess is and what a quote would look like if you bumped it up by one tier (e.g., from $250 to $500, or $500 to $1,000).
  2. Calculate your savings: Subtract the new annual premium from your old one to find your yearly savings.
  3. Audit your emergency savings: Confirm whether you have that higher excess amount completely walled off in a accessible savings account.
  4. Adopt a "no minor claims" rule: If you opt for a higher excess, commit to only claiming for major losses. Because making multiple small claims can spike your future premiums or void no-claims benefits, you should generally pay out-of-pocket for minor damages anyway.

Would you like to run through a quick calculation using your specific quoted premium differences?

Ask Gemini

Gemini is AI and can make mistakes.

Captured 11 October 2026

AI Overviews · New Zealand

Would taking a much higher contents insurance excess save enough money to be worth the risk?

AI Overview

Yes, taking a higher contents insurance excess can save enough money to be worth the risk, provided you have the savings to cover the higher out-of-pocket cost during a claim.

In New Zealand, increasing your contents insurance excess is the fastest way to slash your ongoing premiums. Data from insurance comparison platforms like Quashed indicates that lifting your excess from a standard $250 to $1,000 can lower your premium by up to 30% or more. With the national average cost of contents insurance sitting at $804 to $860 per year , this switch can save you $240+ annually.

The Break-Even Math

To determine if it is worth the risk, you need to calculate your break-even period. This is how many claim-free years you need to make the premium savings outweigh the financial hit of a higher excess if something goes wrong.

Excess Option Annual Premium Out-of-Pocket Claim Cost
Standard Excess $400 $400
Higher Excess ($800) $200 $800
Net Difference Saves $200 / year Costs $400 more at claim time

  • Calculation: $400 (excess difference) ÷ $200 (annual savings) = 2 years.

  • Verdict: If you go more than two years without making a claim, you are officially making a net financial gain.

When It Is Worth the Risk

  • You treat contents insurance as "catastrophe protection": If your main goal is protection against total losses like a house fire, earthquake, or major burglary, a high excess is ideal.

  • You have an emergency fund: You must be able to comfortably pay the $1,000+ excess from cash savings without relying on credit cards or debt.

  • You rarely claim: If you have a clean history and don't tend to claim for small incidents (like a spilt glass of wine on a rug), a high excess works in your favor.

When It Is NOT Worth the Risk

  • You live paycheck to paycheck: If an unexpected $1,000 bill at claim time would cause financial distress, stick to a lower excess. A lower excess serves as a "cash flow protector".

  • You frequently claim for minor items: A high excess completely eliminates the value of small claims. For example, if your phone screen repairs cost $450 and your excess is $1,000, you cannot utilize your insurance at all.

How to Proceed

If you want to evaluate your exact situation, consider checking out tools like the Calculate.co.nz Excess vs Premium Calculator to plug in your specific quotes.

If you would like to look closer at your options, let me know:

  • What is your current excess and annual premium?

  • What higher excess tier (e.g., $1,000 or $2,000) are you considering?

  • Do you also hold house or car insurance with the same provider? (Some NZ insurers offer a "one event, one excess" rule if a single disaster impacts multiple policies).

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026

Google AI Mode · New Zealand

Would taking a much higher contents insurance excess save enough money to be worth the risk?

Taking a higher contents insurance excess can significantly lower your regular premiums, but whether it is "worth the risk" depends entirely on your financial buffer and how often you make claims. In New Zealand, insurers typically offer excesses ranging from $250 up to $1,000 or more, with higher excesses yielding noticeable premium reductions.

How the Math Works (The Trade-Off)

  • Lower Excess ($250 – $400): Results in higher annual or monthly premiums. Best if you prefer predictable budgeting and want the insurer to cover smaller, everyday mishaps. [Quashed]

  • Higher Excess ($1,000+): Results in lower ongoing premium costs. You take on the burden of "self-insuring" smaller losses in exchange for a cheaper baseline bill.

When a Higher Excess Is Worth It

  • You have an emergency fund: If you can comfortably pull $1,000 out of savings tomorrow without disrupting your life or going into debt should an unpredicted event happen, taking a higher excess is mathematically advantageous over time.

  • You rarely or never claim: Insurance is designed for catastrophic or major losses (like a house fire or a major burglary), not for replacing a dropped phone or minor item. If you view insurance purely as a safety net for major disasters and have a clean claims history, raising the excess saves guaranteed cash every single month.

  • The premium drop is substantial: Run quotes with your provider. If jumping your excess from $250 to $1,000 only saves you $30 a year, it's not worth the risk. If it drops your annual bill by hundreds of dollars, the savings compound quickly.

When a Higher Excess Is a Bad Idea

  • Living paycheck-to-paycheck: If a $1,000 out-of-pocket cost would force you onto a credit card or a high-interest loan, a high excess defeats the peace-of-mind purpose of having insurance in the first place.

  • High-risk environments: If you live in an area with a higher frequency of burglaries or environmental risks where you are likely to claim more than once every few years, the math starts working against you.

To see community perspectives and detailed breakdowns on navigating these choices, you can read more via guides like MoneyHub or insurance marketplace insights on Quashed.

If you'd like, share:

  • Your current excess and proposed higher excess
  • The difference in your premium quote

I can help you calculate the breakeven point to see how many claim-free years it takes for the higher excess to pay off.

Ask anything

Captured 11 October 2026