Van insurance can be pricey, but there are many things that can bring down your premiums.
In this post we’ll explore a few areas where you may be able to reduce the cost of your van insurance. But remember, it is vital to be honest when completing your car insurance quote to ensure that you are correctly covered and there is no risk of a claim being turned down due to false information being provided.
Choose a Van From a Lower Insurance Group
Insurers place every van on the market in a different insurance group. The higher the insurance group, the more the van will cost to insure.
A number of factors determine a van’s insurance group, including its size, its safety and security features, and the amount the van would cost to repair following an accident.
When choosing a van, your priority should be to ensure the van meets all of your practical needs. Yet if you’re worried about the cost of van insurance, take some time to compare different vans from different insurance groups. If you can find a van from a lower insurance group that’s still fit for purpose, you’ll have the best of both worlds.
Read our full guide to van insurance groups.
Also be sure to read our guide to the best vans for fuel consumption. Driving a van with a good fuel economy can significantly bring down your running costs.
Make Sure You Have The Right Uses Covered for Your Van
How will you be using your van? If you’ll be using it for professional purposes, then you’ll have to add business use to your policy.
Adding business use will usually increase the cost of cover, but there are different classes of business use, and each class will affect the price of your policy in different ways.
For example, Class 1 Business Insurance can cover a commute, as well as regular site visits as part of your work. This form of cover may cost less than Class 3 Business Insurance, which is to cover extensive mileage and significant business use.
Read our full guide to adding business use to your insurance.
We also have a guide to getting the right insurance cover if you’ll be using your van as a courier or delivery driver.
Pay Annually Rather Than Monthly
Paying for your car insurance premium in one lump sum annually is the most cost-effective and straightforward approach. This is because spreading out payments over the year usually incurs interest or additional fees, which increases the overall cost. By paying the full amount upfront, you avoid these extra charges. However, if you aren’t in a position to do this, paying by monthly instalments is a good way to spread the cost across the year.
Secure Your Van
Thieves tend to target vans, which is one factor that can make van insurance more costly. If you can take steps to secure your van, you may be able to make some savings on the cost of cover:
- Ideally, park your van off the street, in a garage or in a driveway with motion sensors, floodlights, and CCTV. If you must park your van on the street, try and do so in a well-populated and well-lit area.
- Take your tools and other equipment out of your van overnight and store them somewhere secure. You can also display a ‘no tools kept in this van overnight’ sticker which may deter some thieves.
- Take extra steps to secure your van inside and out, with stoplocks, steering locks, van security locks, extra secure tool storage, and dash cams.
- Do some research into the most secure vans on the market. Some are by design harder to break into than others.
Read our full guide to securing your van.
Shop Around for the Best Van Insurance Offer
Different insurers charge different amounts for the same cover. Don’t assume that your current insurer is offering the best price.
At Insure 2 Drive, we specialise in providing comprehensive cover for less, with optional tool cover and breakdown cover. If you’re looking for your first van insurance policy, or if your current policy’s up for renewal, get a free quote from us to see how we can help you save.
