Home insurance Home insurance additional charges

Many insurers charge extra if you want to make common changes to your home insurance policy. If you move house or get married, chances are you'll be charged an extra fee on top of the revised risk-based premium. And if you need to cancel your policy, most insurers will charge you a cancellation fee.

We've rounded up the charges imposed by insurers and reveal the best and worst buildings and content insurance providers.

Note: All scores are based on making policy changes or requesting duplicate documents offline. Where an insurer charges no fee for online changes, we have footnoted this, together with the potential positive impact on the insurer's score.

Home insurance charges
ProviderAPR for monthly premiums (%)Policy renewal fee (£)Policy set up fee (£)Policy adjustment fee (£)Duplicate document fee (£)Cancellation fee (£)Which? charges score (%)
Age UKn/an/an/an/an/an/a100
Halifaxn/an/an/an/an/an/a100
Lloyds TSBn/an/an/an/an/an/a100
Marks & Spencer Bankn/an/an/an/an/an/a100
UIA Insurancen/an/an/an/an/an/a100
NFU Mutual2.75n/an/an/an/an/a96
HSBCn/an/an/a10n/an/a94
Hiscox14.09n/an/an/an/an/a92
Insure 4 Retirementn/an/an/an/an/a2591
Nationwiden/an/an/an/an/a2691
Ecclesiastical16.2 [a]n/an/an/an/an/a88
John Lewis18.6n/an/an/an/an/a88
Legal & General16.6n/an/an/an/an/a88
Barclaysn/an/an/a12n/a26.2585
More Than23.6n/an/an/an/an/a84
NatWestn/an/an/a15.90n/a15.982
Royal Bank of Scotlandn/an/an/a15.90n/a15.9082
The Co-operative Insurance18.5n/an/a12.50n/an/a82
Aviva15.1n/an/a0-12n/a30.7476
Privilege23.6 [b]n/an/an/an/a2575
Direct Line23.6 [b]n/an/a15.90n/a26.5069
LV=23n/an/an/a103269
Tesco23.6n/an/a15.75n/a2069
Allianz22.68n/an/an/a0-125066
Churchill23.6n/an/a15n/a2566
Prudential23.6n/an/a15n/a2566
Sainsbury's22n/an/a15.90n/a26.5066
Axa Insurance32.5n/an/a0-30 [d]n/a2565
Swiftcover31.4n/an/a0-30 [d]n/a2565
Castle Cover24n/an/a25n/a3563
Post Office24.5n/an/a20n/a3063
RIAS24n/an/a0-25n/a3563
Saga22.09n/an/a1003563
Endsleigh17n/an/a0-20n/a0-5061
Santander23.46n/an/a251520-3554
AA Insurance Services26.9n/a912.50150-5045
Budget Insurance29.9n/an/a30104550
Esure25.6n/an/a202027.50-55 [c]45
Sheilas' wheels25.6n/an/a202027.50-55 [c]45

Table notes

All scores are based on making policy changes or requesting duplicate documents offline. Where an insurer charges no fee for online changes, we have footnoted this, together with the potential impact on the insurer's score.

  1. If paid in 12 instalments. When paid by 5 instalments interest rate is reduced to 12.2%
  2. No charge if you update details online. Overall insurer score would then be 60%.
  3. £55 in first year, £27.50 thereafter. Overall score from second year onwards is therefore 36%.
  4. £30 for changes made offline. £0 for changes made online by the customer. If a customer makes all changes online, the insurer's overall score would increase to 65%.

Table correct at: April 2012

More on this...

Which? works for you