CoverMapHow much is home insurance in the UK in 2026?
The most widely quoted figure comes from the ABI’s Property Insurance Premium Tracker. It is based on the prices people actually paid, not quotes, and covers about 15.5 million policies.
| Policy type | Q2 2026 (Apr–Jun) | Q1 2026 (Jan–Mar) |
|---|---|---|
| Combined buildings and contents | £383 | £375 |
| Buildings-only | £309 | £306 |
| Contents-only | £118 | £117 |
Source: ABI Property Insurance Premium Tracker, Q2 2026 (published 3 August 2026) and Q1 2026 (published 6 May 2026).
So how much is building and contents insurance? On the ABI’s figures, £383 a year on average. Prices nudged up between the first and second quarters of 2026, but were still lower than a year earlier. Which? reported that the Q2 2026 combined average was £9 less than in April to June 2025. The Q1 2026 figure was down 5% on the year, the fourth quarterly fall in a row.
How much is contents insurance?
Contents-only cover averaged £118 in Q2 2026 on the ABI’s figures. If you rent, MoneyHelper notes this is the only part of home insurance you need, and it isn’t a legal requirement.
How much is buildings insurance?
Buildings-only cover averaged £309 in Q2 2026. Q1 2026 buildings prices were down 6% on the year. If you’re not sure which type you need, see our guide to buildings vs contents insurance.
Is combined cover cheaper than two separate policies?
Adding the ABI’s separate averages gives £427 (£309 plus £118), against £383 for combined cover. These averages come from different groups of policyholders, so this isn’t a like-for-like saving. It is still worth asking for both a combined quote and separate quotes.
Why comparison sites show lower prices
Comparison sites and price trackers often publish figures well below the ABI’s. They measure different things. The ABI averages every policy in force, including renewals and policies with higher cover. Comparison-site figures are medians of new policies sold through that site.
| Publisher | Figure | Period | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| MoneySuperMarket | Combined £242.57, buildings £199.59, contents £67.35 | August 2026 | Median premium of policies sold through MoneySuperMarket |
| Consumer Intelligence | £253 average (June 2025: £278) | June 2026 | New-business prices |
| Go.Compare | Combined £225 (median) | Q4 2025 (Oct–Dec) | Median of annual-payment sales through Go.Compare |
Source: MoneySuperMarket home insurance statistics (updated 1 October 2026); Consumer Intelligence (published 30 July 2026); Go.Compare home insurance index (published 9 March 2026).
Consumer Intelligence found new-business home insurance prices were down 7.5% over the year to June 2026, and down 1.5% in the three months to June.
How home insurance costs vary by region
Where you live makes a big difference. Two recent studies agree that the North East is the cheapest part of the UK, though they disagree on the most expensive, partly because one leaves out Northern Ireland.
| Source | Most expensive | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|
| Go.Compare, Q4 2025 (median combined) | Northern Ireland £464 | North East £184 |
| Consumer Intelligence, June 2026 (Great Britain only) | London £389 | North East £182 |
Source: Go.Compare (published 9 March 2026); Consumer Intelligence (published 30 July 2026).
Consumer Intelligence also found the biggest yearly price falls in London (down 9.8%) and Wales (down 8.9%). The smallest were in the North East (down 3.3%) and Scotland (down 3.6%).
What insurers pay out: ABI average claims
Claims costs help explain why some homes cost more to insure. The ABI’s Q1 2026 figures show the average household claim was £6,340. By type:
- Weather damage (flood, storm and burst pipes): £6,040 on average.
- Subsidence: £17,820 on average.
- Theft: £4,350 on average.
Home insurers paid out £846 million in Q1 2026. In Q2 2026, the average subsidence claim reached a record £20,000.
What affects how much you pay
- Size of your home. MoneySuperMarket’s August 2026 data shows a median of £240.96 for homes with 1–3 bedrooms and £382.23 for 4 or more.
- Property type. In the same data, converted, self-contained flats were the most expensive type at £321.18, and semi-detached bungalows the cheapest at £182.92.
- Location. As the regional figures show, the same cover can cost very different amounts in different parts of the UK.
- Flood and subsidence risk. These are among the costliest claims, so they feed into the price. Flood Re can help some high-risk homes (see below).
- When you buy. MoneySuperMarket found that buying 19 days before your renewal date could save £19 compared with buying on the day itself (£296).
- Your security. For how security measures can affect a quote, see our guide to home security insurance discounts.
Paying monthly: how much extra?
Which? puts it plainly: “When paying monthly, you’re effectively borrowing the year’s premium.” Its June 2026 report on 38 home insurers found instalment APRs from 0% to 29.9%, with an average of 21%. 15 of the 38 charged nothing extra for paying monthly. MoneyHelper’s advice is to pay annually if you can. For insurer-by-insurer APRs, see our guide to UK home insurance providers.
Renewal prices and the FCA pricing rule
The FCA tackled “price walking”, where renewing customers paid more than new ones, in its May 2021 policy statement, PS21/5. When it made the rules, it estimated they would save consumers £4.2 billion over 10 years. Since 1 January 2022, a firm must offer a renewal price that is no higher than the equivalent new business price.
The FCA reviewed the rule in July 2025. It found that in home insurance, the average price gap between existing and new customers almost halved, from £95.38 to £49.17. It found no statistically significant change in overall home insurance prices.
The rule doesn’t guarantee the best price, though. MoneyHelper says it is still worth comparing rather than letting your policy auto-renew, because another insurer may offer a better deal.
Flood Re: help for high flood-risk homes
Flood Re is a joint initiative between the Government and insurers. It aims to make the flood part of household insurance more affordable. Insurers can pass the flood risk on high-risk policies to Flood Re, which sets that part of the price by Council Tax band. There is a fixed £250 flood excess.
To be eligible, all of these must apply:
- The home was built before 1 January 2009.
- It is in Council Tax band A–H (or equivalent) and used as a private home.
- It is a single unit, or in a building with 2–3 units, and is insured individually.
- The policy is held by individuals, and you or your immediate family live there (or it is unoccupied).
- It is in the UK, excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
Buy-to-let homes, holiday and second homes, farmhouses and static caravans in personal ownership can also be eligible.
Rebuild cost: don’t insure the wrong figure
Your buildings sum insured should be the cost of rebuilding your home, not what it would sell for. Ageas explains that “rebuilding a house usually costs less than its market price”, because estimates leave out things like location and land. They do include demolition and clearance, professional fees, materials, labour and statutory fees.
The ABI and BCIS offer a free rebuild cost calculator. Getting the figure right matters. If you’re underinsured, the “average clause” lets an insurer cut a claim by the same proportion. In an Ombudsman example cited by Ageas, a home insured for £400,000 with an £800,000 rebuild cost had only half its claim paid. Our underinsurance guide explains more.
Ways to lower your home insurance cost
- Compare quotes before your renewal date, rather than on the day.
- Pay annually if you can, or look for an insurer that charges nothing extra for monthly payments.
- Check your rebuild cost so you’re not paying for more cover than you need, or risking too little.
- Only pay for add-ons you need, such as accidental damage or legal expenses.
- If your home is at high flood risk, ask whether your insurer uses Flood Re.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is home insurance in the UK?
ABI figures show people paid an average of £383 for combined buildings and contents insurance in April to June 2026. Comparison sites report lower medians for new policies, such as £242.57 on MoneySuperMarket in August 2026.
How much is contents insurance?
Contents-only cover averaged £118 in Q2 2026, according to the ABI. MoneySuperMarket's median for contents policies sold through its site in August 2026 was £67.35.
How much is buildings insurance?
Buildings-only cover averaged £309 in Q2 2026 on ABI figures. MoneySuperMarket's August 2026 median was £199.59.
Is home insurance getting cheaper?
Broadly, yes. The ABI's Q2 2026 combined average of £383 was £9 lower than a year earlier, according to Which?. Consumer Intelligence found new-business prices fell 7.5% in the year to June 2026.
Does it cost more to pay monthly?
Often. Which? found home insurance instalment APRs from 0% to 29.9% in June 2026, averaging 21%, though 15 of the 38 insurers it checked charged nothing extra.
Can my renewal price be higher than a new customer's?
No. Since 1 January 2022, FCA rules say your renewal price can be no higher than the equivalent new business price. It is still worth comparing other insurers.
What if my home is at high risk of flooding?
Flood Re may help. It makes the flood part of home insurance more affordable for eligible homes, including those built before 1 January 2009, with a fixed £250 flood excess.
Sources
- ABI – Average claim for subsidence reaches record £20,000 (3 Aug 2026)
- ABI – Home insurers pay out £846 million to support households (6 May 2026)
- Insurance Age – Home insurance premiums tick down in Q1: ABI
- Which? – What's happening to home insurance premiums? (5 Aug 2026)
- MoneySuperMarket – Home insurance statistics (updated 1 Oct 2026)
- Consumer Intelligence – Home insurance premiums down 7.5% over the year (30 Jul 2026)
- Go.Compare – Home insurance price index (9 Mar 2026)
- Which? – Many car and home insurers still charging over 25% APR to pay monthly (16 Jun 2026)
- FCA – PS21/5 General insurance pricing practices (May 2021)
- FCA – EP25/2 Evaluation of GI pricing remedies (Jul 2025)
- Flood Re – Home
- Flood Re – Eligibility criteria
- Ageas – How to calculate the rebuild cost of your home (1 Apr 2026)
- ABI / BCIS – Rebuild cost calculator
- MoneyHelper – Home insurance: how to get the best deal