What levels of cover are available with van insurance?
Levels of cover are similar to that of a car insurance policy.
Third Party Only
the minimum amount of cover legally required, third party van insurance covers you against damage to third party property and/or injury to a third party if you have an accident which is your fault. It should also cover passengers in your vehicle, but does not cover you or your van.
Third Party, Fire and Theft
provides cover as above, but third party, fire and theft also covers the cost of replacing your van if it is stolen, repairing your van in the event of damage due to attempted theft and repairing/replacing your van in the event of fire damage. It is important to note that there are situations when your insurer may not pay out, for example if your van is stolen but it was not secured properly. Make sure to check all of your policy wording with your van insurance provider.
Fully Comprehensive
the most complete level of cover, fully comprehensive van insurance covers all of the above as well as you and your van in the event of an accident, even where you are at fault. It can also include various added extras including windscreen cover & breakdown cover.
A lot of people assume that fully comprehensive van insurance will be the most expensive as it provides the most cover, however this is not always the case and research has shown that lesser levels of cover are often more expensive. When you compare van insurance quotes, it is worth getting a quote for all three as you may end up with a more comprehensive insurance policy at a cheaper price.
Commercial vs. private van insurance
How you use your van will affect what type of van insurance you will need:
Private van insurance, as the name suggests is for drivers who use their van for personal use – for example social & pleasure use. It covers anything except business use. You may not be able to commute with private van insurance, even if you commute to a single place of work, so be sure to check this with your insurance provider.
Commercial van insurance is designed to cover drivers using their van for business use. Different types of commercial van insurance include courier van insurance (transit of other peoples’ goods), own goods carriage (e.g. tools and equipment) & haulage insurance (delivering large loads to single destinations).
Tips to lower the cost of your van insurance
Compare Van Insurance Quotes – take the time to compare quotes using a comparison site. You can often find cheaper cover by shopping around.
Loyalty Often Doesn’t Pay
– don’t let your van insurance auto-renew at the end of the policy, instead compare quotes again
No Claims Bonus
– building up your no-claims bonus demonstrates that you are less likely to make a claim on your insurance policy which can therefore help to keep your insurance cheaper.
Higher Excess
– increasing the amount of voluntary excess you will need to pay in the event of a claim usually helps to lower the cost of your van insurance policy however you need to think about whether you could afford to pay the higher excess in the event that you do need to make a claim.
Avoid Over Insuring
– although you will want to make sure you and your van are covered if the unexpected happens, you also want to avoid over-insuring yourself. For example, some van insurance policies come with breakdown cover included, however you may already be covered for breakdowns elsewhere., e.g. your bank.
When it comes to van insurance, cheapest is not always the right policy, so although you may be able to reduce prices for van insurance quotes in general, be sure to compare more than just the cheapest quote in the comparison results table.
Specialist van insurance products
If you need any driver van insurance or you have multiple vehicles to insure, you may find it easier to manage your insurance through one fleet insurance policy. Fleet Insurance can be tailored to cover any driver, one benefit of which is that you may not need to add/remove individuals employees to a policy as they start/leave your business.
As is typical in many businesses you may find you need to arrange van insurance for a higher risk driver, perhaps a young driver or one with convictions – van fleet insurance could be a way to reduce your insurance costs.
How to get cheap van insurance quotes
At Quote Goat, we make it easy to compare van insurance quotes from over 40 insurance providers, through our partnership with Seopa Ltd, who provide our van insurance comparison system.
It can take less than 5 minutes to complete the quote form which will then show you live quotes from many of the UK’s leading van insurance providers.
If you are looking for cheap van insurance, get a quote today to see how much you could save.
What’s the difference between car and van insurance?
Although there are obvious similarities there are also key differences between a van and a car insurance policy. The primary one being that vans are often used on a commercial basis and therefore they will require different levels of cover, e.g. a builder’s van will need cover for equipment and tools carried in the van.
What details are needed to compare van insurance?
To get accurate insurance quotes you may need to provide certain information. This includes details about:
1
Your Van
either the make and model of your vehicle or the registration plate plus any modifications you have made to your van. If you have not purchased the vehicle yet that is fine too.
2
Your Details
information about yourself including your age, occupation, address & driving license information.
3
Driving history
details of any recent convictions (both non-motoring and motoring convictions), amount of no-claims & details of any advanced driving courses taken.
Van Insurance FAQs
My van is modified, can I get a quote?
Yes you can, you will need to specify the modifications to your van as this can impact the cost of your insurance. Failure to disclose modifications can void your insurance policy.
Does van insurance cover driving abroad?
Cover for driving your van abroad varies between providers so it is important to check what is covered. Most can insurance providers will have a list of destinations that will be covered under your policy. There may also be a limit on the number of days that you can drive abroad.
What additional cover should I consider alongside standard van insurance?
There are a number of optional extras when it comes to van insurance, including trailer cover, breakdown cover, legal cover and no claims bonus protection. Optional extras do vary between policies and some van insurance policies include optional extras as standard.
Can young drivers get van insurance?
Yes, although a lot of policies have a minimum age limit of 21 and in some cases 25. Young drivers are statistically more likely to crash which is why having a young driver can make it harder to find cheap van insurance quotes.
Some providers offer specialist young driver van insurance policies including those that include a black box for drivers under 21.
How do I claim on my van insurance?
You should contact your insurance provider as soon as possible to let them know the situation and follow their advice/procedures.
Can I insure multiple vans?
If you require insurance for multiple vans, please visit our fleet insurance page. Van fleet insurance can cover multiple vans and other vehicles in one policy which can make it easier to manage and it may also help to reduce the cost of insuring your vans.
Can I insure multiple drivers?
Yes, when you go through to quote form, you will see the option to include additional drivers up to a total of 4 named drivers.
Do policies include a black box?
You can choose to see all results or hide quotes that require a black box. For more information about black boxes, please visit our black box guide for van drivers.