If the cost of your home insurance recently went up, several factors likely went into determining your new premium. While some price increases may be due to factors within your control, others are caused by issues that are affecting home insurance customers across the country. We’ve got the lowdown on some common reasons for price increases and some things you can do to save.

Pricing factors within your control

When your insurance company is trying to determine the price of your home insurance policy, they consider many different factors. Here are a couple of factors within your control that may contribute to an increase in your home insurance premium:

• You’ve made updates or renovations that have increased the value of your home. Did you recently finish your basement or install another bathroom? If the value of your home increases, you may need to purchase more coverage than you had before, which could mean you’ll pay more for home insurance. But while some home upgrades may lead to a premium increase, others may actually help you save or qualify you for a discount.
• Your claims history has changed. If you’ve recently made a home insurance claim and your premium increased, there are a few possible explanations. First of all, many insurers reward customers with lower premiums when they’ve remained claims-free for a set period of time — if you’ve been benefiting from this type of savings and you make a claim, your claims-free streak will start over again. Secondly, after you’ve made several claims in a block of time set out by your insurer, you may have a surcharge added to your premium to offset the cost of processing multiple claims.

Pricing factors outside of your control

When your home insurance premium goes up even though nothing about your situation seems to have changed, you may find yourself wondering why. We’re here to explain what’s happening behind the scenes that’s contributing to industry-wide price increases across the country. Here are a few of the major contributors:

• Extreme weather events and catastrophes are occurring more frequently across the country. As more and more wildfires, wind storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other damaging events occur, insurance companies are spending more to clean up the damage and get their customers back on their feet. As the frequency of severe weather events increases, insurance companies have to increase their rates so they can afford to pay the claims that occur as a result.
• Trends in your area show that you’re now at higher risk for burglary or other incidents. Insurance companies use advanced analytics to predict the likelihood that you will make a home insurance claim — and as your likelihood of making a claim increases, so will the cost of your insurance. The cost of your home insurance may go up if your insurance company predicts that homes in your area have become more prone to burglaries or damage from extreme weather events, for example.
• Emergency cleanup services, skilled trades, personal belongings, and homes in general have become more expensive, which leads to higher claims payouts. If your home or belongings need to be repaired or replaced, it will cost your insurance company more today than it would have in the past, thanks to inflation. Insurers have to take this into consideration when they calculate premiums.

Ways you can lower the cost of your home insurance

There are a number of factors that cause home insurance prices to go up, and unfortunately you can’t control each and every one. The good news is there are some simple things you can do to lower your premium. Here are some of the best ways to save on home insurance:

If you have questions about your home insurance coverage or want to make sure you’re getting the best price available,

today!