Consumer NZ says significant savings are on the table for some people as house insurance premiums rise sharply in a few cities and drop in others.
Consumer NZ’s latest house and contents premium survey found relief in insurance prices in Auckland, while prices in Wellington and Christchurch continue to rocket.
“Our research found the median premium for a large house in Auckland had dropped by around 11% compared with the previous year. Whereas, in Christchurch and Wellington, the median premium for a large house went up by about 10%,” said Rebecca Styles, Consumer’s research lead.
However, savings are available for those who can shop around.
“When we compared policies with the same excess and sum insured across the 6 centres, we found the median potential saving was about $550.”
“More than 8 in ten people have had the same insurance provider for at least 3 years. When people decide to switch, it’s usually because of price, and with some of the savings available, we can see why.”
How the prices stack up
Wellington continues to be the most expensive city for house insurance. The median cost for house and contents insurance for a standard home was a whopping $3,824 in Consumer’s 2025 house and contents premium survey.
Dunedin has the cheapest home insurance options, with the median cost for house and contents insurance for a standard home coming in at $2,227.
The impact on consumers
According to Consumer’s latest insurance survey, around three-quarters of New Zealanders are at least somewhat concerned about the cost of house insurance. More recently, Consumer’s research has revealed that three in ten New Zealanders list the cost of insurance as a top financial concern.
Insurance retreat has been big news recently, and Consumer expects this will continue to impact more areas around the country because of the increasing number of floods, landslides and sea surges.
“About 1% of over 3,000 survey respondents told us they couldn’t switch because no provider would offer them insurance. “
Insurance savings tips
Shop around – if you are offered a better price by another provider, you could use this offer to haggle with your current provider. Head to Consumer’s house and contents insurance webpage to compare prices and policy details.
If you’re struggling, opt for a higher excess so you can lower your premiums. Don’t set the excess so high you couldn’t scrape the money together if you needed to make a claim.
Ask your insurer if your premiums would be cheaper if you installed an alarm or security cameras – the savings might subsidise the installation costs.
If you can afford to, pay your premiums annually – you should get a discount.
If no insurer will cover your home, you can contact the Natural Hazards Commission and ask about its natural hazards cover (known as NHCover). It might be able to provide you with natural hazard insurance directly. You can contact NHCover on NHCover@naturalhazards.govt.nz.
Notes
Consumer gathered quotes for house and contents insurance premiums from nine insurers for homes in the six main centres in Aotearoa. We collected the quotes in November 2025, for policies starting on 1 December 2025.
Consumer NZ requested quotes for:
a couple with a standard-sized house insured for $560,000 (which we increased from $550,000 after using a sum insured calculator) and contents for $90,000
a family of four with a large house insured for $840,000 (which we increased from $800,000 after using a sum insured calculator) and contents for $140,000.
