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Van insurance – Quick Guide

Points to consider when purchasing your van:

• The first consideration is to think about what you will be using the van for and how much space you will require for your needs. It is probably best to choose the smallest van that you could get away with.
• Compare different manufacturers as many of them will make vans with similar features. This may enable you to choose a cheaper van suitable for your requirements which could fall in to a cheaper insurance group.
• Consider the security features which may be available on the van as standard or as optional extras to protect your van of choice. Insurance companies will offer cheaper van insurance quotes for those vans which they know are better protected and less likely to be targeted by criminals.

It is compulsory by UK law for all van owners to purchase appropriate legal van insurance. Driving a van without appropriate cover leaves you liable for any damage caused to people or property. Therefore if a van is a requirement for your business then it must be covered by a suitable van insurance policy. The main aim of the insurance policy is to protect your business and your van from various dangers, theft and accidents.

Van insurance policies

A recent Police study showed that 47,000 vans are stolen in UK each year. For van owners, this converts to £152 million in lost assets. This statistic shows there is no better reason for getting van insurance.

There are three different kinds of van insurance policies which are commonly available due to the different requirements of the customer. The first is fully comprehensive van insurance, secondly there is third party van insurance and finally there is third party, fire and theft van insurance.

• Fully Comprehensive - offers insurance cover for accidental and or malicious damage. Some insurers also offer contents insurance in this type of policy, but this will be clear during your insurance quotation.
• Third Party - offers protection against third party property including the injury or death of any other parties involved.
• Fire, Theft and Third Party - offers protection against third party property including the injury or death of any other parties involved; including the risk of fire or theft from the van

Many business owners will choose a fully comprehensive insurance policy. The main reason for this is that it will offer the best protection cover available against theft, accidents and pr malicious van damage. Therefore, fully comprehensive van insurance is a must for van users.

Call 0800 3698592 for a free van insurance quote

Van Insurance Groups

If the cost of van insurance worries you, then there are ways you could help to reduce the expense. The following guide helps to explain how insurance companies classify vans in order to decide on a suitable premium. Therefore choosing the right van for your requirements can make a big differed to the cost of insurance you pay each year.

Insurance group ratings are allocated by ABI (Association of British Insurers) who classify vans into 20 groups: insurance group 1 is the lowest risk with insurance group 20 being the highest.

Insurance group ratings are just advisory, so they can be used by motor insurers as one of the input factors in calculating premiums. Insurance companies will classify a van in its rating group depending on the following two main points:

• The likely cost associated with repairing the vehicle after an accident
• Their evaluation of the levels of risk linked with the type of van

In general, this means that choosing the right van for your business could make a huge difference to the cost of your van insurance.

The majority of insurance companies use 5 standard categories of van as their starting point for deciding which insurance group. The categories in ascending order of size are:

1. Car-derived van: Vans which look like cars from the front. However back windows are filled in and back seats have been removed to create an area for cargo
2. Micro-vans: A van which is the size of a medium sized car but has the shape of much larger van
3. Small or light vans: These vans are usually slightly larger than a car, they have double doors at the back and may also have a raised roof
4. Medium or panel van: This is perhaps the most typical "white van". These are roomy vehicles.
5. Large van: These vans are capable of carrying very large loads. They often have a double axle at the back.

In addition, other factors which will be considered other than size to dictate the van insurance groups are as follows:

• engine capacity
• engine type (petrol or diesel)
• purchase price of the vehicle
• cost of replacement parts
• the security measures

If the cost of van insurance concerns you, then there are ways in which you could reduce the cost.

Call 0800 3698592 for a free van insurance quote

Here are some idea’s which could assist you with lowering the insurance premiums:

Security Devices
You could choose to install a GPS systems and burglar alarm in your van which are some of the best ways to reduce van insurance premiums as they reduce the chance of theft. The parking area of you van can also impact the price of van insurance, so think about where you van will be parked. Since 1995, vans sold specifically to the UK market have been assessed by Thatcham to establish a level of standard fit security which could assist with improved insurance group ratings.

Increasing voluntary excess
Opting for a higher voluntary excess will help insurers pay less as it will reduce the liability of insurers when you make a claim

Driving record
Many companies will charge a higher premium if you have commit offences such as speeding or illegal parking etc, so be sure to employ drivers who have a clean driving license as this will help to lower your premiums.

Call 0800 3698592 for a free van insurance quote

Van insurance money saving tips

Powerseeker can offer you many tips in order to keep your van insurance premiums lower. Some or all of these tips may be applicable, so it is worth exploring each one to see if this could work for you to save you money when buying van insurance. Discounts or savings can often be found for the following criteria:

• Cover for drivers without convictions
• Cover for older drivers
• Apply online as most van insurance providers offer discounts for online applications
• Apply discount codes which may be available from your van insurer (Powerseeker offer cheap van insurance by calling 0800 080 5295 and quoting reference: 1733)
• Keep commercial vehicles in a locked premises overnight
• Fit the van with security devices
• Keep optional extra’s to a minimum
• Declare your No Claims Bonus
• Drive less as the premium will be less expensive if you have less mileage on the van
• Van size does matter; so consider the size of the van and the engine size during purchase

Simply click the van insurance quote button above to fill in your details and get online van quotes instantly from one form.

John Duckham

"Thanks for a cheap white man van insurance policy - it was fast and easy to get the quote. Very professional thanks J Duckham"