We're live! Introducing Rhino + our ask for homeowners
We're empowering homeowners to identify and mitigate property-level wildfire risk to stay insured in the highest-risk areas.
Today, I’m excited to share Rhino, a new company empowering homeowners to mitigate climate risk while accessing insurance benefits, starting with wildfire.
We started working on Rhino after the Eaton Fire came within blocks of my family home in January. After seeing friends and family lose insurance, scramble and spend to meet new requirements, or get overwhelmed by where to even start, we decided there had to be a better way.
The problem: Wildfire risk threatens the safety and insurability of our homes
Increasing wildfire risk is forcing homeowners and insurers to confront an untenable status quo. We know hotter, drier weather due to climate change increases the frequency and severity of wildfire events, causing catastrophic losses like those we saw in LA earlier this year.
Almost 5 million homes nationwide face high or extreme risk of wildfire. Perhaps even more concerning, the vast majority of new homes nationwide are now being built in areas facing fire risk (more than 80% of California’s new homes are in high fire risk zones).
With non-renewals and reductions in exposure from major carriers, homeowners are struggling to obtain mortgages, buy and sell homes, and manage property-level risk using insurance. As a result, in California, FAIR Plan policy counts (the insurer of last resort for fire insurance) have more than doubled in the last five years and show no signs of slowing down.
The opportunity: Discounts for mitigation help homeowners save money and protect their homes
If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of Californians now on the state’s FAIR Plan, you’re not alone. The good news: you may be eligible for up to 25% off your premium through a mix of home and neighborhood-level wildfire safety qualifications. These discounts come from the Safer from Wildfire standards developed by the California Department of Insurance—and they work. These activities can effectively double the survivability of a home, while saving you money on insurance.
Structure / home hardening
Install a Class-A fire-rated roof
Use Non-combustible materials along the bottom 6 inches of exterior walls
Install ember and fire-resistant vents
Upgrade windows to double-paned or add shutters
Enclose eaves
Defensible space
Cleared vegetation and debris from under decks
Maintain a 5-foot ember-resistant zone around a home
Move sheds and outbuildings moved 30 feet away
Trim trees and brush in compliance with local and state laws
Neighborhood, or community-level preparedness
Join a NFPA Firewise neighborhood
Live in a Fire Risk Reduction Community, as defined by the Board of Forestry
How Rhino can help
Rhino makes it easy to get there. We built a self-guided tool that walks you through a quick inspection of your home, gives you a personalized action plan, and connects you with contractors who can get the job done. Rhino also helps you identify and apply for local incentive programs, so you can ensure you’re getting the best ROI on your investment.
If you’re on the FAIR Plan or just worried about your coverage, we’d love to help. You can sign up and start your free wildfire risk assessment today at withrhino.com.
We’ll share more later about our long-term vision for Rhino, including how we hope to work with insurers, contractors, and municipalities. For now, if you have questions, would like to discuss partnerships, or just are interested in what we’re building, feel free to get in touch at info@withrhino.com or subscribe to this newsletter where we’ll share updates.
PS: We’ll have a booth at the Sonoma County Wildfire and Earthquake Expo in Santa Rosa on Sunday. Say hi if you’re in the area or share with someone else who is!