# DI-C-A-04: Our contents insurance went up even though we didn't claim. Can we ask for a lower renewal price? Collected 11 October 2026 [Home and contents insurance study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/insurance/home-contents-insurance) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: c3a2b3e9-b833-490f-9a88-0db1a07193fc Yes — you can absolutely ask your contents insurer for a lower renewal price in New Zealand, even if you haven't made a claim. You don't have to simply accept the increase. A clean claims history is worth mentioning, although it doesn't guarantee a discount. Insurers can raise premiums because of factors such as higher repair and replacement costs, changes in risk assessments, reinsurance costs and changes to their pricing. ## How to try to get your premium down 1. Ask for a better renewal offer. Contact your insurer before renewing and explain that your premium has increased despite making no claims. 2. Ask why it went up. Request a breakdown of the increase, including any changes to the premium, excess, fees or policy terms. 3. Get competing quotes. Compare other New Zealand insurers using the same contents value, excess and cover limits. Tell your current insurer if you find a cheaper equivalent policy. 4. Consider adjusting your excess. A higher excess may reduce your premium, but make sure you could afford to pay it if you needed to claim. 5. Check your sum insured. Make sure the amount of contents cover reflects the cost of replacing your belongings. Don't underinsure yourself just to reduce the premium. 6. Ask about discounts. Check whether you qualify for a multi-policy discount if you also insure your car or home with the same provider, or for any other available discounts. Consumer NZ specifically recommends using a cheaper competing quote to negotiate with your current insurer. Its February 2026 research also found that comparing equivalent home and contents policies could reveal substantial savings, although results vary by location and policy. [8 ways to save on insurance](https://www.consumer.org.nz/money/insurance/how-to-save-money-on-insurance)[Insurance premiums soar, but big savings can still be made](https://www.consumer.org.nz/about-us/media-releases/insurance-premiums-soar-but-big-savings-can-still-be-made) ## A message you can send your insurer Email Subject : Request for a review of my contents insurance renewal premium Hi, I've received my contents insurance renewal and noticed that my premium has increased, despite having made no claims. I'd appreciate it if you could review my renewal price and let me know whether you can offer a more competitive premium. Could you also explain the main reasons for the increase and confirm whether any changes have been made to my excess, sum insured or policy terms? I'd prefer to stay with you if we can agree on a competitive price, but I'll be comparing quotes from other insurers before renewing. Thank you for your help. I look forward to hearing from you. ## One useful thing to know Your premium may include government levies and other costs that the insurer can't simply waive, so ask which parts of the increase are due to its own pricing. The Insurance Council of New Zealand explains how these different components contribute to premiums. [Insurance Council of New Zealand (ICNZ): General Insurance Body](https://www.icnz.org.nz/) You can also read Consumer NZ's guide: [8 ways to save on insurance](https://www.consumer.org.nz/money/insurance/how-to-save-money-on-insurance). If you tell me which insurer you're with and roughly how much your annual premium has increased (for example, from $200 to $260), I can help you work out what to ask for and how best to negotiate. ## Gemini Answer ID: 4ce800b8-89e7-4f34-84e5-890198b76bc5 **Yes, you can ask your insurer for a lower renewal price, and it is quite common to negotiate or shop around when your premium goes up despite having a clean record.** Insurers in New Zealand review and price risks annually. Even if you haven't made a claim, your contents insurance premium can still rise due to macro-level factors like soaring inflation, rising replacement/repair costs for household goods, and increased weather-related claims or weather risks across the country or your specific region. --- ### Actionable Steps to Lower Your Renewal Price 1. **Call Your Current Insurer and Negotiate** * **What to do:** Contact your insurance provider before your renewal date. Let them know you’ve noticed the price increase despite having no claims, and ask if they can review the premium or apply any unapplied discounts. * **Why it works:** Insurers often have discretionary wiggle room or retention discounts they can apply to prevent losing long-standing customers. 2. **Shop Around and Compare Competitor Quotes** * **What to do:** Use online aggregation or comparison tools (such as Quashed), or check directly with other major providers in New Zealand (e.g., AMI, AA Insurance, Tower, State, Trade Me Insurance). * **Why it works:** Insurance companies frequently rely on "loyalty pricing" (where existing customers slowly pay more over time), while offering cheaper introductory rates to new customers. Having a lower quote from a competitor gives you strong leverage when negotiating with your current provider. 3. **Adjust Your Voluntary Excess** * **What to do:** Ask to increase your excess (the amount you pay out-of-pocket when making a claim), for example, moving from a $250 excess to $500 or $1,000. * **Why it works:** A higher excess lowers your overall risk to the insurer, which immediately slashes your annual premium. Just ensure you can comfortably afford that excess if an unexpected event happens. 4. **Review Your Sum Insured Amount** * **What to do:** Recalculate the total value of your contents using an online calculator (many NZ insurers provide them). * **Why it works:** Over-insuring items you no longer own or overestimating total replacement values means you are paying for coverage you don’t need. Right-sizing your sum insured can pull the price down. 5. **Re-evaluate Bundling and Payment Frequency** * **What to do:** Check if your multi-policy discount (e.g., combining car and contents) is still competitive, and opt to **pay annually** instead of monthly or fortnightly if possible. * **Why it works:** Paying by direct debit or credit card instalments usually incurs hidden financing fees or administration charges that make the policy more expensive overall. --- > **Next Step:** Before your renewal payment processes automatically, get at least two online quotes from competing providers. Take the lowest quote back to your current insurer, ask them to match or beat it, and if they refuse, be prepared to switch providers to secure a better rate. Would you like help looking into specific ways to calculate your contents sum insured to see if you might be over-insured? ## AI Overviews Answer ID: 84df80ba-1f29-43b3-9ebe-b32ec0aef2f4 **Yes, you can absolutely ask for a lower renewal price** on your contents insurance. In New Zealand, insurance companies often default to higher renewal rates (a tactic sometimes known as a "loyalty tax"), assuming customers will simply let the policy auto-renew. The fact that you haven't made any claims gives you excellent leverage to negotiate. However, the reason your premium went up despite your clean record is likely due to country-wide factors, including rising inflation, the cost of reinsurance globally, and the increased volume of severe weather events across New Zealand. * * * Step-by-Step Negotiation Strategy **1\. Gather External Quotes First** * Spend 10 minutes getting online contents insurance quotes from competitors (e.g., Tower, AA Insurance, State, AMI, or digital options like Cove). * Ensure the coverage levels (excess amounts, total sum insured) match your current policy so you can make a true comparison. **2\. Call Your Current Insurer** * Do not email; call their customer service line directly, as front-line phone agents often have immediate access to retention discounts. * Politely tell them you’ve been a loyal customer, you haven't made any claims, but you have noticed your premium has increased. **3\. Present Your Leverage** * Use phrases like: _"I’ve looked at my renewal notice and noticed it went up, even though I haven't claimed. I value being with you, but I've received a cheaper quote from another provider for the exact same coverage. Is there anything you can do to lower my premium or match this price to keep me as a customer?"_ * * * Practical Ways to Lower Your Premium Immediately If the insurer cannot lower the base price directly, ask them to adjust these policy levers to reduce your bill: * **Increase your excess:** Raising your excess (the amount you pay out of pocket if you make a claim) from $500 to $1,000 will instantly drop your regular premium. Only do this if you can comfortably afford the higher excess in an emergency. * **Consolidate policies for a multi-policy discount:** If you have car or house insurance with a different provider, ask your contents insurer what kind of discount they will offer if you move all your policies to them (usually between 10% to 20%). * **Adjust your sum insured:** Review your total contents valuation. If you have sold expensive items or over-estimated the cost to replace your goods as new, lowering your total "sum insured" limit will lower your price. * **Change your payment frequency:** If you currently pay weekly or monthly, check if they charge an installment fee. Paying annually usually removes installment loading fees and saves you money over the year. * * * To help me tailor this advice, what **company** are you currently insured with? If you have a **target price** or know your **current excess amount** , let me know so we can figure out your best next move. ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: 65dec23e-3cc3-4664-9b5a-1eaf38a1a169 **Yes, you can always ask your insurance company for a lower renewal price** , and it is common practice in _New Zealand_ to contact your provider or shop around when your premium goes up despite having a claim-free year. Insurers raise premiums for a variety of broader market factors rather than just your personal claims history—such as rising replacement costs, inflation, crime rates, and increased government or natural disaster levies. [MoneyHub NZ] How to Ask for a Lower Price * * **Contact your current insurer** : Call your provider's customer service or retention team. Ask them to explain why the premium increased and request a policy review. Mention that you have been claim-free and loyal, and ask if there are any overlooked discounts or loyalty rates available. * **Adjust your excess** : You can ask to increase your voluntary excess (the amount you pay out-of-pocket when making a claim), which generally lowers your ongoing renewal premium. * **Review your sum insured** : Re-evaluate the total value of your belongings. If your estimate is higher than what you actually own, lowering the sum insured can reduce your cost (though make sure you aren't underinsuring). * **Remove optional extras** : Check your policy for optional benefits or add-ons you may no longer need and ask to remove them. [AMI Insurance] * **Shop around and compare quotes** : Get quotes from other competing New Zealand insurers. If you find a cheaper comparable policy elsewhere, you can use it as leverage to ask your current provider to match or beat it. [MoneyHub NZ] * **Prepay annually** : If you currently pay monthly, ask if switching to an annual upfront payment unlocks a discount. [MoneyHub NZ] * If you'd like, let me know: * Which **insurance company** you are with * Whether your premium went up by a **large margin** I can give you more specific tips on negotiating or alternative providers to compare.