We all accept that our age, postcode and lifestyle can affect what we pay for insurance, from health cover to car policies. But it seems your email address can be a factor too.
It was reported last week that people who use Hotmail are being quoted higher premiums for car insurance by the Admiral insurance group, which includes Admiral, Bell, Diamond and Elephant.
Money can now reveal that the same is true for home insurance.
What’s the difference?
A comparison of home insurance quotes for three different email addresses found the following: £212.45 for a Hotmail email, £208.62 for one with AOL and £202.86 for one with Sky. The research was carried out by data analyst Defaqto, which ran the same test for 13 other insurers using a price comparison site. Only the Admiral quotes varied by email account.
Why are Hotmail users being penalised?
Admiral said it based its calculations on analysis of its internal data. It is understood some email addresses are associated with greater levels of early cancellation of policies and higher claim numbers.
Advertisement
“We use a variety of pieces of information to accurately produce a competitive price for our customers,” said Admiral.
Brian Brown of Defaqto said: “It seems insurers are forming opinions about the type of person who uses Hotmail, and other email services.”
Car insurance costs rise
Car insurance has gone up by more than a quarter in three years, but home insurance has remained fairly flat, the Association of British Insurers said.
Top tip
Open another free email account if you worry yours will count against you.