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Tower Home Insurance

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Tower Insurance homepage
Author Tower Insurance. Screenshot of Tower Insurance website.
[Accessed August 22, 2023]

About Tower Insurance

The story of Tower began in 1869 when the Government Life Insurance Office (Government Life) was founded in New Zealand.

Government Life received its initial starting capital from the NZ government. In 1953, the Government Life Insurance Act led to Government Life becoming a distinct statutory body. In 1987, it underwent a significant transformation and was renamed Tower Corporation. Ownership was transferred to its policyholders in 1990 through the Tower Corporation Act, enabling it to function as a mutual association.

Shared ownership is a guarantee of trust

Tower embarked on a demutualisation process in 1999. With the consent of its policyholders and the High Court, this conversion changed Tower's legal status to that of a shareholder-owned company.

Tower Limited became a publicly listed entity on the Australian and New Zealand stock exchanges in September 1999. Then, in November 2006, Tower's New Zealand and Australian businesses were separated with the approval of its shareholders, marking a significant milestone in its corporate structure.

You decide how much cover you need

Tower understands that people’s needs differ. They designed the Cordell Sum Sure calculator to help you determine your sum insured amount. By entering your address and checking the property details, the calculator will give you the right figure to start with. It’s important to remember that your sum insured is the amount it’ll cost you to rebuild your house in totality. It’s not based on the market value of your house.

Collaboration meets innovation

They’re committed to sustainability and actively collaborate with communities and councils on climate education, while also sharing their environmental data.

They prioritise problem-solving and strive to address issues before they become problems, reflecting their forward-thinking approach. With a relentless focus on progress, Tower is reinventing insurance for the modern world by leveraging innovation and data to transform operations for the benefit of customers and communities.

A commitment to excellence

Tower’s accolades include being named Canstar's Car Insurer of the Year and Outstanding Value Car Insurance for 2021-2022, as well as being recognised as the General Insurer of the Year 2022 at the IBANZ Awards. Tower's policies adhere to the WriteMark Plain Language Standard, ensuring that the policy wording is designed to be more accessible and comprehensible to readers.

Experience makes all the difference

Why choosing a Tower house insurance policy is the sensible thing to do:

  • The company prioritises problem-solving. Issues are addressed before they become problems.
  • Tower is deeply engrained in the Kiwi DNA, and their dedicated teams are known for their stellar assistance during difficult times.
  • You get complete transparency as the risk rating of your property is displayed and used to calculate your house insurance premiums.

Tower Insurance Services

Tower offers three policies, namely Premium, Plus and Standard. You can earn one Airpoints Dollar for every $100 you spend on your policy.

General benefits include:

  • Replacement to sum insured
  • Sustainability upgrades cover up to $30,000
  • Extended sum insured for fire
  • Natural disaster coverage
  • Liability protection
  • No-claims bonus
  • Payment of only one excess

Premium cover

Premium cover offers optimum protection from unexpected damages such as fire and flood. You get a temporary accommodation benefit of $30,000 and water leaks coverage of up to $3,000.

Other benefits include:

  • Gradual damage coverage of $3,000
  • A temporary accommodation benefit of up to $30,000
  • Landscaping up to $5,000
  • Reduced excess on glass breakage of $50
  • A key and lock benefit of $2,000
  • Garden retaining walls cover up to $50,000
  • Minor alteration cover of $50,000

Tower Plus policy

The Tower Plus policy is a pragmatic choice to safeguard your home against unintentional damages like fire incidents.

Other benefits include:

  • Gradual damage cover of $2,000 and landscaping of  $2,000
  • Keys and locks cover of $1,000 and minor alteration cover of $20,000
  • A $100 excess on glass breakage and a retaining wall benefit of $25,000

Standard cover

Standard cover is an economical house insurance policy that provides essential protection.

Added benefits include:

  • Gradual damage cover of $1,000 and landscaping of $1,000
  • Keys and locks cover up to $500 and a minor alteration benefit of $10,000

Bundle and save even more

By merging your Tower house insurance policy with some of the other Tower products, you can enable a total saving of up to 20% on your premiums.

Combining your house and contents insurance can save you even more, as you’ll qualify for a further 10% discount.

Tower home insurance only takes your house’s sum insured into account, and any changes in the marketplace prices won’t influence this amount.

You can use the online insurance calculator to determine how much it’ll cost to rebuild your house.

Tower Insurance – Home insurance

  • Product Home Insurance
  • Airpoints
    Earn one Airpoints Dollar for every $100 spent on your policy.
  • Liability Cover
    Coverage for liability claims resulting from accidents on your property.
  • No-claim Bonus
    Benefit from a no-claims bonus for maintaining a claims-free record.

Benefits of Tower Insurance

  • Choose policies tailored to your unique needs
  • Earn rewards through Airpoints Dollar for policyholders
  • Coverage for sustainability upgrades and extended sum insured provides added financial security
  • Protection against natural disasters and liability claims brings peace of mind
  • No-claims bonus and bundle discounts offer potential savings
  • Simplified claims process with a single excess payment and temporary accommodation benefit
  • Keys and locks benefit ensures your home's security

Self-service options make life much easier

Eligibility criteria

  • You have to be a New Zealand resident, 18 years or older
  • You have to provide proof of ownership of the property you want to insure.
  • You must have a regular income to prove you can afford the premiums.
  • The property must be used for residential purposes and must be occupied.
  • The structure you want to insure must adhere to all standard building requirements as prescribed by law.

How to apply for house insurance with Tower

  1. Use the online calculator to determine your sum assured.
  2. Open your Tower account by registering online.
  3. Request a quote by providing all the relevant details of the property you want to ensure.
  4. If you prefer, you can contact them telephonically and a representative will guide you through the application process.
  5. You will be required to submit relevant documentation such as property ownership proof, identification details, as well as your previous insurance information.
  6. Upon approval, you will receive your policy documents. Make sure you review the policy carefully before acceptance.
  7. Upon payment of your initial premium, Tower will activate your policy.

The My Tower self-service portal makes it easy to update, claim and address your insurance issues swiftly online:

  • You get instant access to your policy document.
  • You can change your payment method and view your billing information.
  • You can submit your claim via My Tower and follow its progress.
  • You can even change your excess or sum insured.

Flexible paying options

You can pay your Tower house insurance premiums in a number of ways:

  1. Direct debit from your account or a recurring credit/debit card payment is simple to set up through Tower.
  2. You can also make a once-off payment by credit or debit card.
  3. Use the Tower online function and look for the payees’ list.

The claims submission process is seamless:

  1. In cases of intentional damages, you need to contact the police. Don’t dispose of damaged items, as Tower might need to inspect the damages.
  2. In the case of damage due to water leaks, you should contact a plumber immediately.
  3. Ensure that you can provide all the required information about the incident, such as details and contact numbers of everyone involved in the incident. In cases of criminal acts, you’ll have to submit a police file number.

The claim stages explained

Your claim is processed as follows:

Assessment

Upon receiving your claim, the assessor will schedule an appointment to inspect the damage. Should the property be deemed unsafe, a builder will be contacted to secure it.

Repairs

The assigned builder will contact you to view the damages. He’ll then present the repair plans and work schedule to you. Upon acceptance, the excess payment is usually paid directly to the builder.

Completion

Upon confirmation of the successful completion of the repairs, Tower will contact you to ascertain if you’re satisfied with the repairs.

Tower Insurance Contact

Contact Number

E-Mail

  • not available

Website

Physical Address

  • Level 5/136 Fanshawe Street Auckland CBD Auckland 1010 New Zealand
  • Get Directions

Opening Hours

  • Monday 08:00 – 18:00
  • Tuesday 08:00 – 18:00
  • Wednesday 08:00 – 18:00
  • Thursday 08:00 – 18:00
  • Friday 08:00 – 18:00
  • Saturday 09:00 – 17:00
  • Sunday – Closed