Couples could pay £51 more on home insurance depending on answer to one question

Couples could pay £51 more on home insurance depending on answer to one question You could be paying more for home insurance based on one simple question insurers ask Ever wondered whether the answer to one simple question could affect what you pay for home insurance? New analysis suggests it might make a bigger difference than most people realise. The question in focus is relationship status, which insurers routinely ask when generating quotes. Applicants are typically classed as single, married, cohabiting or in a civil partnership, and the answers feed into pricing models used by insurers. Data highlighted by consumer group Which?, based on Compare the Market information, shows clear differences in average premiums depending on how people answer this question. Married homeowners pay the highest average annual premium at £213, compared with £179 for cohabiting couples, £177 for those in civil partnerships and £162 for single applicants. That represents a gap of £51 between married and single homeowners, according to the same dataset, showing how premiums can vary significantly between household types. However, experts stress that this does not mean simply selecting “married” automatically increases the price of cover. Instead, relationship status is used as one of many data points in wider risk profiling, alongside property value, rebuild costs, location and contents cover. Which? explains that married couples are statistically more likely to live in larger homes with higher rebuild costs and more valuable possessions, which naturally increases the cost of insurance. That means the difference in premiums is more about the type of household than the relationship status itself, with insurers pricing based on risk exposure rather than marital status alone. Home insurance pricing is built on complex modelling that assesses how likely a claim is and how much it would cost, meaning small differences in inputs can affect the final quote. Industry data from the Association of British Insurers shows the average home insurance claim in the UK was £4,668 in 2023, underlining why insurers place so much weight on accurate risk information. Consumer experts also warn that accuracy matters when completing applications, as incorrect or inconsistent details could affect both pricing and claim validity. Which? advises shoppers to compare policies carefully, as premiums can vary widely between providers even when cover appears similar. Ultimately, the relationship status question is less about marital status itself and more about the wider financial and lifestyle picture insurers use to calculate risk.