# DI-H-A-01: My house insurance renewal is $600 more than last year and I haven't claimed. Can I ask the insurer why it's gone up? Collected 11 October 2026 [Home and contents insurance study](https://nzbrands.ai/research/insurance/home-contents-insurance) ## ChatGPT Answer ID: eb17962c-4dc9-42f7-83ff-0813f11e1d6b Yes — absolutely. In New Zealand, you can contact your house insurer and ask them to explain why your renewal has increased by $600, especially when you haven't made a claim. You don't need to have made a claim for your premium to go up, and you're entitled to ask for a clear explanation. Home insurance premiums can rise for several reasons, including: - Higher rebuilding costs: The cost of labour and building materials may have increased. - Natural disaster risk: Your property's exposure to flooding, earthquakes or other natural hazards may affect pricing. - Reinsurance costs: Insurers pay for their own insurance, and those costs can affect what customers pay. - Changes to your policy: Your sum insured, excess, cover or other policy terms may have changed. - Insurer-wide price increases: Your insurer may have raised premiums across a range of properties or locations. Your individual claims history is only one factor. Even if you've never claimed, your premium can still increase. ## What to ask your insurer The New Zealand Financial Markets Authority recommends asking your insurer how your premium is calculated, whether discounts have been applied, and whether your policy is still the best fit for you. It suggests asking for answers in writing. [Insurance](https://www.fma.govt.nz/consumer/everyday-finance/insurance/) You could send them this message: Email Subject : Request for explanation of house insurance renewal increase Hello, I've received my house insurance renewal and noticed that my premium has increased by $600 compared with last year. I haven't made any claims, so I'd appreciate a breakdown explaining the reasons for this increase. Could you please clarify: - How much of the increase relates to rebuilding costs, risk factors, levies or general premium increases? - Have any changes been made to my sum insured, excess, cover or policy terms? - Have all applicable discounts been applied? - Are there any options to reduce my premium while maintaining suitable cover? I'd appreciate a written explanation and a review of my renewal pricing before I decide whether to proceed. Kind regards ## What to do if they can't reduce it - Ask them to review the price. You can ask whether a loyalty discount or other pricing options are available. - Compare other insurers. Get quotes using the same sum insured, excess and level of cover so you can compare like for like. - Check your excess and cover. A higher excess may reduce your premium, but make sure you could afford it if you needed to claim. [8 ways to save on insurance](https://www.consumer.org.nz/money/insurance/how-to-save-money-on-insurance)[Consumer Guides](https://www.icnz.org.nz/individuals/consumer-guides/) If you're unhappy with their response, you can make a formal complaint through the insurer's complaints process and, if necessary, contact its independent dispute resolution scheme. My advice: Start by asking for the written breakdown. An extra $600 is worth investigating, and having no claims doesn't mean you have to accept the increase without asking questions. One useful detail: What insurer are you with? I can help you find its specific process for querying a renewal increase in New Zealand. ## Gemini Answer ID: 3550e378-bb77-4f2c-a721-f547b73b73bc **Yes, absolutely.** You have every right to contact your insurance provider and ask why your house insurance premium has increased, especially when you haven't made any claims. Insurers in New Zealand are used to answering these questions. Even if you haven't made a personal claim, house insurance rates across New Zealand have faced widespread upward pressure due to several broader economic and environmental factors. --- ### Common Reasons Your Premium Went Up When you call them, they will likely point to one or more of the following industry-wide drivers: * **Rising Reinsurance Costs:** Local insurers buy their own insurance (reinsurance) globally to protect against major catastrophes. Following major international and domestic weather events, the cost of reinsurance has spiked and is passed down to policyholders. * **Inflation and Building Costs:** The cost of construction materials, trade labor, and supply chain expenses have increased significantly. This means the estimated cost to rebuild your home from scratch (your **sum insured**) has likely automatically adjusted upwards to match inflation, which directly impacts your premium. * **Location and Risk Profiling:** Insurers constantly update their data and predictive modeling regarding natural hazards (such as flood zones, slip risks, or earthquake exposure) for your specific region or suburb. * **Government Levies:** Changes to government-related fees, such as the Toka Tū Ake EQC levy (EQCover), can affect the final total. --- ### What to Say and Do Next 1. **Call or Message Your Insurer:** Ask them to break down the specific components of the increase. Ask: *"Can you explain what factors contributed to the $600 increase on my policy this year, given that I have no claims history?"* 2. **Check Your Sum Insured:** Review your house sum insured amount using their online calculator (or an independent tool like Cordell Sum Sure) to ensure your home isn't over-insured. 3. **Adjust Your Excess:** If you want to lower the premium back down, ask your insurer how much switching to a higher voluntary excess (e.g., moving from a $500 excess to a $1,000 or $2,000 excess) would save you. 4. **Shop Around:** Don't hesitate to get quotes from competing insurers in New Zealand. Loyalty doesn't always translate to the best price, and a rival provider might offer a better introductory rate for the same level of cover. Would you like some guidance on how to compare your current policy features against other providers in the market? ## AI Overviews Answer ID: 93a3346c-6f15-45c0-998b-7f45ca7bfec0 **Yes, you can absolutely ask your insurer why your premium has gone up** , and you should. New Zealand insurers are required to be transparent about their pricing, and challenging a **$600 premium increase** is a standard consumer right. Even without making a claim, external macro factors across New Zealand are driving massive insurance hikes. According to data reported by organizations like Consumer NZ, home insurance premiums nationally have skyrocketed in recent years due to localized risk-based pricing, rising construction costs, and natural hazard exposures. * * * Why Your Premium Rose (Without a Claim) When you call your insurer, they will likely point to a mix of these industry-wide Kiwi factors: * **Risk-Based Pricing:** NZ insurers now price premiums down to the specific address. If your property has updated flood, landslide, or seismic risk profiles, your premium will spike regardless of your personal claim history. * **Surging Construction Costs:** The cost to rebuild a home in New Zealand has risen sharply. Your insurer automatically increases your "sum insured" amount each year to match inflation, which pushes your premium up. * **Global Reinsurance Costs:** NZ insurers must buy reinsurance from global firms to cover major disasters. Following recent global and local climate events, reinsurance costs passed on to Kiwi consumers have surged. * **EQC and Fire Levies:** Government-mandated levies (Toka Tū Ake EQC and Fire and Emergency NZ) are automatically baked into your bill. * * * Strategic Blueprint to Lower Your Renewal Do not accept the $600 increase without executing these step-by-step cost-cutting strategies: Strategy| Action| Target Impact ---|---|--- **Increase the Excess**| Raise your standard excess from $500 to $1,000 or $2,000.| Drops premium by **10% – 15%** instantly. **Review Sum Insured**| Use the online Cordell Sum Insured Calculator to ensure your home isn't over-insured.| Aligns premium with true rebuild costs. **Bundle Policies**| Move your vehicle or contents insurance to the same provider.| Secures a **10% multi-policy discount**. **Shop the Market**| Gather quotes from competitors (e.g., AA Insurance, AMI, State, Tower).| Leverage to force a **loyalty price match**. * * * Your Call Script When you contact your insurer, use this direct framework to negotiate: > _"My renewal is $600 higher despite zero claims. Can you provide a breakdown of exactly how much of this increase is due to government levies versus your internal risk-pricing changes? I am currently looking at competitor quotes—what discounts can you apply to keep my business?"_ If you want to map out your next move, tell me: * Who is your **current insurer**? * What is your current **excess amount**? * Have you used a **rebuild calculator** recently to check your sum insured? ## Google AI Mode Answer ID: 8de4f48d-c7d5-4ecb-ae07-e88f523a94b9 **Yes, absolutely.** You have every right to ask your insurer for a clear explanation of why your premium has increased, even if you haven't made any claims. Insurance premiums across New Zealand have risen significantly due to macro-level factors rather than just individual claim histories. When you call or email them, you can expect them to point toward several common industry drivers: * * **reinsurance costs:** The cost for local insurers to buy their own global reinsurance (insurance for insurance companies) has spiked following worldwide natural disasters and severe weather events. * **inflation and rebuilding costs:** The cost of building materials and labour has risen sharply, meaning the sum insured to rebuild your home has likely increased. * **risk-based pricing:** Many insurers now use granular, address-based risk modelling. Your specific location may have been reassessed for natural hazards like flood, storm, or earthquake risk, shifting the pricing for your specific area. [YouTube·Stuff] * **government levies:** Increases to the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) levy or the Earthquake Commission (EQC / Natural Hazards Commission)-related costs can also affect the final figure. [YouTube·Stuff] * What you should do next 1. **Contact your insurer:** Ask them to break down the specific factors driving your $600 increase. Is it general market adjustment, a change in your property's risk score, or an adjustment to your home's rebuild value? 2. **Shop around:** According to guidance from Consumer NZ, loyalty doesn't always pay, and getting quotes from competing providers is one of the best ways to see if your current premium is competitive. 3. **Adjust your policy:** You can ask your insurer about increasing your voluntary excess (the amount you pay out-of-pocket on a claim) to lower the annual premium. [Insurance & Financial Services Ombudsman Scheme] If you'd like, let me know: * Your **approximate region or city** (if you're comfortable sharing) * Whether your **sum insured/rebuild value** changed on this year's schedule I can give you a better idea of whether this hike aligns with broader regional trends.