Van Insurance Buying Guide
The saveyourselfmoney guide to cheaper Van insurance
What do you need to know about van insurance?
You might think that car insurance and van insurance are one and the same, but you'd be wrong. The two are in fact very different and, if you drive a van as part of your business, it is important to make sure you have the right cover in place.
After all, you don't want to find yourself stuck in a situation where your delivery packages, tools or other expensive equipment have been stolen from the back of your truck and you have to fork out for replacements. That's where van insurance comes in handy and there are three main types available to drivers - comprehensive, third party fire and theft, and third party only.
The first covers malicious or accidental damage to the vehicle, in addition to the protection provided by third party fire and theft subscriptions. This provides cover for any loss or damage sustained to vans as a result of lightning, fire, explosions or theft. Third party only, meanwhile, is the minimum level of protection motorists can take out in order to drive their vehicle on the road, with cover only provided if you cause any injury or damage to a third party.
How will insurance premiums be calculated?
It can be quite complicated working out van insurance premiums, since these vehicles are used for a wide variety of applications and quotes have to take much more into account than they would when insuring a car.
If you have a job that requires a hefty amount of driving, taking you up and down the UK each week, then chances are you'll see your premiums climb a little, as increased mileage means increased chances of an accident or of damage being sustained and therefore a claim being made on the policy.
What's more, it's very likely that more than one driver will be insured on the van, and depending on what sort of business they operate in, the vehicle's contents will vary in value, all of which an insurer will have to take into account when deciding what premiums to ask for as even if the vans contents aren't covered, having expensive equipment in the van can increase the risk of theft.
How to save money on van insurance
There are things you can do to get cheaper van insurance and to reduce your premiums, and given the cost of fuel these days, a few money-saving tips can definitely go a long way.
First up find the cheapest policy that meets your cover requirements using the saveyourselfmoney van comparison tool.
Secondly, reduce your premiums by improving security on your vehicle by installing an alarm system, immobilisers and an ignition lock. This should see you offered extra discounts, while fitting an electronic tracker to allow police to find your van anywhere in the UK should it be stolen will also help. It's worth checking what the discount would be before you spend the cash on the security additions.
Thirdly, get an accurate estimation of the mileage from your past MOT's. Don't pay for miles you don't use.
You may wish to consider offering to pay a higher voluntary excess, as this could possibly lower premiums as well.
Jargon busted
Any driver policies - Where a certain number of drivers can be insured, typically used by businesses
Grey import - A van built for sale outside the European Union and brought into the UK, not originally intended for sale in the country
Kerb weight - The weight of the van when empty
Signage - If the van carries any commercial logos, contact details or advertisements
