Insurance Recommendations Help Needed

[Jamie Jones]

It is rapidly approaching Insurance Renewal time of Year for me. I am with Trust Insurance and I already know that they are going to hike the premium up from discussions I had a while ago.
 

I mainly do Grounds Maintenance/Garden Maintenance and because I brought a small mini chipper (Greenmech CS100) to help deal with braking down waste for transportation when cutting hedges. When I added this to the policy I knew that I would have a small increase in premium on the Equipment list side.
 

What I was not expecting was....All of a sudden they wanted to change me from a grounds maintenance policy to a full on Arborists/Tree Surgeons Policy. With a big increase in price, plus the policy wording has changed from 'being competent' to being 'Qualified' This has forced me to have to do £ 3,500 worth of courses to meet the policy changes I face at renewal. I had purchased a bigger chipper, then I would expect this.

They were going to change me over on policies at the time of getting the chipper, but changed this to the point of renewal. So I didn't walk away from them at that point. 

The nature of work that I do has not changed apart from how I have to process waste cuttings to fit in with the Local Waste Disposal Site.

Q1: Has anyone else experienced this? 
(I feel it is just the insurer being opportunistic to unjustly raise up the premiums)

Q2: Who are you insured with and are they any good?

[dumper]

You have tried to speak to someone with a brain rather than the office idiot?

try NFU, I have never had problems but they are not cheap

[Jamie Jones]

Thank You for the replies here and via messages to my original post.... And in all fairness having researched the market and trying out various recommendations for others.

I have renewed my policy with Trust Insurance who seemed to be the only company that could cover all the activities that I undertake. 

So at the end of the day.. Thank You to Trust Insurance for the renewal of cover even if  the cost has gone up a bit....

Edited February 1, 2019 by Jamie Jones
Added a bit