Compare cheap van insurance quotes and you could save up to £238[1]
Customer satisfaction rating on reviews.co.uk[3]
[1]51% of consumers could save up to £238.58
It's a legal requirement to have van insurance. Whether you use your van for business or pleasure, the right policy can offer peace of mind.
But van insurance differs from car insurance, particularly if you use it for business.
You’ll need to decide on the level of cover and type of insurance you need - and that’ll depend on how you use your van.
There are three levels of van insurance to choose from. Make sure you choose insurance that’s right for you and how you use your van.
Comprehensive
Insures your van against theft and fire, as well as proving cover for you, your vehicle and third parties involved in motoring incidents.
Third party, fire and theft
TPFT will insure you for damage or injury to third parties, and for fire damage or theft of your vehicle.
Third party only (TPO)
This only covers injuries or damages to a third party – it’s the minimum level of cover required by law.
How you use your van is defined much more strictly than with a car. You’ll need to work out whether you need commercial or private insurance first, and then how you intend to use it.
For private use, like visiting friends and family and doing the shopping, but not commuting.
If you use your van socially and to travel for work while transporting tools or materials.
For social use, as well as delivering goods (generally long distances) to one destination.
Social use and carriage of goods for hire and reward – making multiple deliveries within a localised area.
Here’s 10 ways you could make your van insurance cheaper:
Smaller van, smaller engine, often equals smaller risk
If you can afford it, it’s usually cheaper to pay for your insurance in one go
Try to avoid modifying your van as it can make insurance more expensive
Alarms, trackers and immobilisers may lower your premiums
Build up your NCD
Avoid unnecessary trips where possible, but be honest with your estimate
If you’ve got a garage or driveway, make use of it
Make sure you’re only paying for cover you want
Take an advanced driving course, like Pass Plus
Don’t just renew - shop around for the right quote
The type of cover and van insurance you can get are pretty varied. It’s important to make sure you’re getting the right cover, so here are some other policies to help you make an informed choice.
If you run a business with more than one vehicle, this cover could be for you.
The type of cover you’ll need for a minibus or MPV depends on the vehicle and usage…
If your motor has a front cab and an open cargo area, you might need this insurance.
Some jobs require you to travel a lot or carry around expensive stock in your van. Even if you don’t use your van for work, you might still be charged higher premiums if your job is deemed risky.
It’s not so much about age, as about experience. Inexperienced drivers are a high risk to insurers, so van insurance premiums are adjusted to account for the likelihood of needing to pay out for a claim.
You can, but whether an insurer will give you a quote depends on the other drivers’ details. Remember that putting an inexperienced driver on your policy could push up your premiums. Incorrect information could invalidate your policy so be honest about who the main driver is.
If you have an existing NCD for a car you owned previously, then it’s unlikely you’ll be able to transfer it to a van insurance policy, but ask your insurer to make sure.
Yes, but it depends on your insurer how much they’ll charge you. Whether you cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period or not, you may be charged an admin fee and an amount equal to the cost of cover provided so far. Some insurers might not charge an admin fee and you should get a pro rata refund.
[1]Price savings are based on independent research by Consumer Intelligence, conducted between 1 April to 30 April 2019: It compared 11 insurers from our panel and found 51% could achieve a saving of up to £238.58 with us on their van insurance