Since cutting rates, the earthquake authority has made information about refunds available to only "a couple of consumers" and "the occasional agent" who asked, said Nancy Kincaid, director of communications and public policy.

The agents for the 19 insurance companies that sell state earthquake policies - and earn a 10 percent commission on each sale - have been just as quiet about potential refunds.

Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi urged consumers to be cautious in pursuing refunds, saying it was not necessarily the right strategy for everyone. Canceling and rewriting an earthquake policy may result in a "useful and significant refund, but it may not," he said. It may depend on how a home was built, its location or its subterranean geology as well as the details of the individual's policy.

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