|
After a bitterly cold winter that was fraught with burst pipes and weather damage, home insurance premiums have risen in 2011. Fraudulent claims have also been creeping up as many people tried to bypass the system; many had no insurance whatsoever whilst others had insufficient insurance. This puts greater pressure on the insurance industry which has resulted in most insurers hiking prices this year.
So what can you do? Everyone, homeowner or not, needs some kind of insurance, whether it’s contents only, buildings cover only or combined contents and buildings insurance. There are ways you can lower the cost of your home insurance, even as prices are rising and they don’t involve drastic measures or any kind of fraud.
Switch your policy to a better one. This sounds obvious, but it is surprising just how many people stay with the same insurer year after year, just because nothing has gone wrong. The phrase ‘if it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it’ doesn’t apply to home insurance policies. Shop around using the internet to find a new, better deal. Many insurers offer great introductory rates that you can take advantage of every year.
If you buy online you are likely to
save as many home insurers offer discounts to online buyers of home
insurance policies.
Don’t put off what you can do today. If you can afford to pay for your insurance premium in one lump sum, do so. You will pay more if you decide to pay monthly by bill or direct debit. This is because most insurers factor in some level of interest to monthly payments that they don’t to annual payments.
You can lower the cost of your home insurance premium simply by installing a NACOSS approved burglar alarm and joining your local neighbourhood watch. Both of these things have been proven to lower crime and the likelihood of burglary. Your insurer may chop up to 10% off your premium for doing so too.
If you volunteer to pay more towards every claim you will pay a lower premium. If you rarely make a claim and when you do so it’s only for high value items, this is a good route to take. By sharing some of the cost burden with your insurer you can literally shave Pounds away from your home insurance premium. Just make sure you don’t claim too often.
|
