Erie Home Insurance Ratings

Best Home Insurance Companies 2020: How Erie Home Insurance Measures Up

Erie came in near the top of the pack this year in our annual Best Home Insurance Companies survey. Erie took 4th place overall with a score of 87.57. Its best showing was in individual rankings was 1st place for claims servicing. In other rating factors Erie was midpack, a 4th place for customer service and 7th place for value for price and ease of use for the website and apps. Erie was the top company for policyholders who said they plan to renew with 98% planning to stick with the company. A majority, 83%, also have already or will in the future recommend Erie to their friends and family.

Gauging an insurance company

Before buying with a company it is wise to check on a company's financial strength and complaint record. The A.M. Best rating listed above gives you an idea of Erie's financial strength to pay claims. A complaint ratio can be found on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) site. The median complaint ratio from the NAIC is always 1.00. This means half of the insurers have a complaint ratio of under 1.00 and half have a ratio above. Basically, numbers lower than 1.00 are better with fewer complaints than the median and a number higher than 1.00 has more complaints than the median. For home insurance, Erie (NAIC# 26271) had a complaint ratio of 0.22 for 2018. 2019 complaint numbers will be available in 2020.

Company Background

Erie homeowner programs

• Erie SecureHome -- This is a type of coverage that offers a lot of discounts, such as bundling and discounts for smoke and burglary alarms. It also offers "guaranteed replacement cost," so your home is covered in full if it's damaged or destroyed. So if your home cost $200,000 to build a decade ago but today it would cost $250,000 to rebuild, you get $250,000.
• HomeProtector -- This comes with a lot of extra features that could come in handy if your home is hammered by a natural disaster. For instance, if you can't live in your home while it's being fixed, you'll get up to 12 months of living expenses paid.

A regional company, then and now

In 1925, when Erie Insurance Group was founded, it was a time when more and more people were buying cars – and having accidents. Erie Insurance founders H.O. Hirt and O.G. Crawford saw an opportunity, so Erie Insurance, from Erie, Pennsylvania, began selling auto insurance. The annual premium for car insurance back then? $34.

And Hirt would have an amazing run with his company, retiring in 1976.

Today, Erie oversees five million policies in 12 states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

Consider Erie Insurance if you really value customer service

Every insurer says that they're all about customer service, and it may be true. But you do get the sense that Erie Insurance, a regional insurer, still has that small-town vibe pulsating through the company. For instance, on their customer testimonial page, they have one customer marveling at how, after her car was rear ended, she had trouble with the other driver's insurance company. So she called her insurance agent on his cell phone and was able to get reassurance that everything would be fine. Later, she found out he had answered the call when he was on a vacation, celebrating his wedding anniversary.

Contact information

Erie Insurance Group Home Office
100 Erie Insurance Place
Erie, PA 16530-0001

Customer service (814) 870-2000