Why Your Marital Status Could Cost You £51 More on Home Insurance
If you’re shopping around for home insurance, here’s something worth knowing: the answer to one simple question about your relationship status could affect how much you pay. New analysis from consumer group Which? reveals that married homeowners are paying significantly more than their single neighbours — sometimes by as much as £51 a year.
The figures are striking. According to data based on Compare the Market information, married couples pay an average annual premium of £213, compared with just £162 for single applicants. Cohabiting couples pay £179 and those in civil partnerships £177. That’s a substantial difference, and you might wonder whether insurers are penalising people for getting married.
The good news? It’s not quite that simple. Insurers aren’t charging married people more simply because they’re married. Instead, relationship status is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. The real drivers behind these price differences are things like property value, rebuild costs, location, and the value of your contents.
Married couples, statistically speaking, tend to live in larger homes with higher rebuild costs and more valuable possessions. That naturally pushes their insurance premiums up — it’s about the type of home they live in, not their marital status itself.
This matters because it shows why accuracy is crucial when you’re getting quotes. If you give insurers incorrect information — whether accidentally or on purpose — it could affect both your premium and whether your claim is valid if something goes wrong. The Association of British Insurers found that the average home insurance claim in 2023 was £4,668, which explains why insurers take risk assessment so seriously.
The practical takeaway? When you’re comparing home insurance quotes, be honest and accurate about all the details insurers ask for. Don’t try to game the system by changing your relationship status — it won’t work, and it could backfire. Instead, focus on comparing policies carefully across multiple providers, because premiums can vary wildly even when the cover looks similar.
Shop around using comparison sites, get several quotes, and check the small print. Small details matter, but so does getting the best deal for your circumstances.