The market for household insurances is very competitive. Insurers will attempt to differentiate their product from that of their competitors by variations in premiums, cover provided and the terms and conditions applied.
There are a wide range of suppliers, including traditional intermediaries, banks, retailers and insurers selling direct to the public. It is increasingly common for household insurance to be purchased over the internet, including through aggregator (price comparison) websites.
The insurance industry is also in the early stages of engaging with new technologies such as smartphone apps, Facebook and Twitter. This has mainly been as a customer service, communication, relationship building and marketing tool, although some also offer the facility to purchase and service policies.