MPI applies for 2.07 per cent rate hike

Manitoba drivers will pay more to insure vehicles next year if a proposed rate hike is approved by the Public Utilities Board.

Manitoba Public Insurance has requested a 2.07 per cent increase to its overall basic insurance rates starting on April 1, 2026.

MPI says if PUB approves the increase, the average insurance cost of a private passenger vehicle would increase by $21 a year.

“While the market remains volatile, and the cost of claims continues to rise, this rate request truly emphasizes MPI’s commitment to keep auto insurance affordable for all Manitobans,” MPI president and CEO Satvir Jatana said in a statement on Wednesday.

“We are taking decisive action to manage these pressures as we continue to deliver value for our customers across the province.”

However, based on what has happened in recent years, it’s not certain whether the board will approve the MPI rate increase.

Last year, MPI proposed a rate increase of three per cent, but that was rejected by the PUB, which imposed a 5.7 per cent increase. The PUB said the change was needed because even MPI’s own calculations concluded it required a 6.77 per cent increase.

While MPI requested no change to overall rates in 2023, the PUB ordered a five per cent increase.

The PUB said last year it had reduced rates overall by more than 15 per cent during the previous five years while also approving rebates of more than $400 million in 2021 and 2022.

Jatana said MPI is scrapping its $750 deductible and adding a $1,000 deductible, which will cost less.

“We’re pleased to give customers the flexibility to maximize the affordability of their mandatory coverage by choosing a higher deductible, or to keep their existing coverage by selecting a lower deductible at an affordable price,” she said.

“Furthermore, a proposed overall increase of two per cent to our extension line of business, which includes products like rental vehicle insurance, additional third-party liability insurance and lower deductibles for basic insurance, will keep all products affordable.”

As well, MPI is adding a $750 deductible option to the list of lower deductibles it has in the extension line of its business. There are already $200, $300 and $500 deductible options.

MPI is creating a new merit level for good drivers.

Jatana said the new merit level of 20, under the Driver Safety Rating, will mean a savings of 53 per cent on the cost of automobile and driver insurance for the safest drivers.

“This is great news for Manitoba’s safest drivers and we are proud that this fair and simple system allows us to recognize their contribution towards safer roads through incentives like discounts on insurance premiums,” she said.

If approved later this year by the PUB, drivers would start paying the new rate anytime between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027, depending on when their insurance needs to be renewed.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca