Home and contents insurance premiums have surged higher across the country according to new research, but experts say switching providers could ease the pain.

Canstar has found the average annual premiums for new home and contents policies have jumped 14 per cent, or $343, in the past year.

"We looked at over 25,000 different home and content insurance quotes across the country to understand what represents value for money, not just on price, but also on features as well," Canstar Director of Research and Public Relations Sally Tindall said.

The research suggested that the average household could save about $766 just by switching from a market average policy to one of Canstar's five-star picks — AAMI, Allianz, QBE or Westpac.

Homeowners in the Northern Territory could save the most of

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