How is climate change going to affect your home insurance? The answer is A LOT

Updated 20 October 2022

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Martine Allars
Written byMartine Allars
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How is climate change going to affect your home insurance? The answer is A LOT

Time to read : 2 Minutes

How is climate change going to affect your home insurance? The answer is A LOT

There's no more avoiding it. Climate change is real and it's hurting more than just the environment..

🏠 The Climate Change Council says that not only will many parts of Australia become uninsurable, but that some places may even become uninhabitable.

⛈️ The price of the extreme weather is adding up. The Insurance Council has announced that the floods across Queensland, NSW, and Victoria in February and March this year cost $4.8bn.

👪 This figure doesn't even take into account the thousands of families still displaced by the floods eight months later.

What you need to know

Right now a lot of Australia is underwater, with Shepparton in Victoria, the NSW border town Echua, Poatina in Tasmania, and Gemfield in Central Queensland all hit by flooding.

  • Insurers' have flagged that costs will go up to pay for extreme weather events, so that means higher premiums .

  • Home insurance costs have climbed 75% over the past five years.

  • One million Aussie households spend one month's salary on our home insurance.

  • More affordable properties tend to be in places where insurance is more expensive, or worse not available at all. It is however a risk that some have decided is worth taking to get into our competitive housing market.

  • The Climate Council says that Australia is heading into an insurance crisis with rising premiums and extreme events.

  • Their latest report listed places across Australia that are particularly vulnerable, with 90% of Shepparton being uninsurable by 2030.

The bottom line

Our insurance premiums are going to cost a lot more, and you may not be able to get insurance at all in some places.

🌧️ Check your policy, as what you're covered for in a flood may have changed. For example, we reported last week that Pluvial flood caused by extreme rain may not be covered on some policies anymore.

🛒 In order to get the best policy and price for your needs and budget, be prepared to compare and switch.

Financial Disclaimer:

The information contained on this web page is of general nature only and has been prepared without taking into consideration your objectives, needs and financial situation. You should check with a financial professional before making any decisions. 


About the author
author Martine Allars

Martine grew up travelling the world, courtesy of her father’s job as an Australian diplomat. As a child she spoke Italian, French, reasonable Arabic and had a very bad mouth in Vietnamese. Martine has always loved being creative – whether that is writing a story or trying out a new recipe. She is a yoga teacher (25 years in), has written a novel – The Littlest Witch (the sequel is underway), and is back at uni doing a second degree in film.

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