What type of van insurance do I need?
The type of van insurance you need depends on how you plan on using your van. You can choose from 4 basic types of van insurance when you get a quote:
- Social only
- Social and commuting
- Business use
- Haulage
Social only is sometimes called private van insurance and could be suitable if you don’t use your van or pickup truck for anything to do with work. It covers things like visiting family and friends, shopping or transporting kit for a hobby. This might mean you’re driving less than if you used it for work, which should help keep your costs in check.
Social and commuting is for if you use your van to get to a single place for work, as well as for social use. If you’re travelling to a bus or train station as part of your commute, this also falls under social and commuting.
Business use is sometimes called commercial cover and covers you if you use your van to carry goods, tools or work equipment belonging to you, your business partner or your employer. For example, builders, shopkeepers or cleaners might benefit from this type of cover. This is also available on a short term basis as temporary business van insurance.
Haulage use covers you if you use your van to carry goods for hire and reward. This type of cover is usually more expensive because carrying valuable or hazardous items comes with a higher risk. Delivery drivers, couriers and haulage contractors might want to consider this type of cover.
It’s important to get the right type of insurance for how you use your van. Buying wrong type of van insurance is against the law and might not protect you if you need to make a claim.
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What level of van insurance cover should I choose?
There are 3 levels of van insurance you can choose from when you get a quote. As you go down the list you're protected against more risks.
If you're looking to keep your costs low, it's still worth comparing these levels of cover against one another. Sometimes, more enhanced protection could actually work out cheaper.
What do I need to get a van insurance quote?
You can get a cheap van insurance quote with us in minutes - all we need is a few details about you and your van.
Your details - your age, occupation, address and details of any previous claims or penalty points
Your van - its make and model, security features and any modifications you've made
Your cover - what level of cover you want, how you plan on using the van, your annual mileage and any named drivers
How much does van insurance cost?
Depending on how you use your van, here are the average policy prices1:
Social only
£581
Social & commuting to work
£614
Business use
£629
Haulage
£1,728
1 Based on Confused.com data September 2022
The cost of your van insurance depends on several factors, including:
-
Your age as younger, less experienced drivers tend to pay more
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Where you live as a postcode in a high-crime area could see your costs rise
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Your driving history as having no accidents in the last 5 years could keep your costs in check
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How much your van is worth as a more expensive van could be attractive to thieves, increasing the risk of theft
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Your van's modifications as things like exhausts, body kits or alloys can drive up what you pay
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Your van's engine size as more powerfulengines tend to lead to more expensive claims, which leads to more expensive insurance costs
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Your van's security systems as the harder your van is to steal, the lower the risk to insure it
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Your job, especially if you’re using your van for work. Occupations where your van is on the road for long periods, or where you’re using it to transport expensive goods (or both!), often lead to higher insurance costs than less risky professions.
How to get cheaper van insurance
Not in a hurry? According to our data, (Jan-Dec 2022), customers who get a van insurance quote 23 days before their renewal date see the cheapest insurance costs on average2 - £290.40. This is compared to customers who get a quote on their renewal day and get an average price of £560.15.
Here are some more tips to get cheaper van insurance:
- Don’t auto-renew
- Build up a no-claims bonus (NCB)
- Let us know if you’re a member of a trade federation
- Increase your voluntary excess
- Add extra security
- Choose an older van
- Consider a black box policy
- Use a dash cam while you drive
- Add a named driver
Don't auto-renew your current policy. Staying with the same insurer isn't likely to be your cheapest option - it's always worth comparing van insurance quotes. Even when your renewal is the same or a little less than last year, you could still save by going elsewhere. To make sure you’re getting the best deal, compare prices before your policy is up for renewal.
A no-claims bonus (NCB), or no-claims discount, is the number of years you haven't made a claim on your van insurance policy.
The amount that its worth varies between insurers, but a NCB of five years or more, for example, is likely to give you a significant discount on your van insurance.
Are you a member of a recognised trade federation? Some insurers might offer you a discount for this.
Increase your voluntary excess as your costs could come down if you offer to pay more towards a future claim.
Add extra security like a steering lock or immobiliser. Extra anti-theft devices make your van harder to steal and could also help lower your prices.
Choose an older, cheaper or less powerful van if you're still looking to buy, as they tend to cost less to insure.
Consider black-box van insuranceto monitor your driving. Insurers use information on how and when you're driving to work our your prices, and reward good driving.
Use a dash cam while you drive to get a discount from some insurers. Discounts can vary and depend on you being able to supply footage following a claim.
Add a named driver as adding a more experienced driver to your policy can sometimes bring the price down, especially if you haven’t been driving long yourself. Just make sure whoever drives the van the most is registered as the main driver. Being dishonest about this is known as fronting, and can get you in a lot of trouble.
2 Confused.com data Jan-Dec 2022. The median purchased annual premium by days to inception.
What van insurance add-ons are available?
Once you've got your van insurance quote, you can include a selection of extra features for added protection:
- Tools in van insurance
- Legal cover
- Breakdown cover
- Windscreen cover
- Personal accident cover
- Driving abroad cover
- Personal effects cover
- Courtesy car cover
Tools in van insurance covers any tools or cargo you have in your van.
Legal cover could help you recover certain uninsured losses that aren't covered as standard by your own insurance policy. For example, if you're involved in an accident that wasn't your fault.
Breakdown cover is available at different levels, usually at different prices, to help get you back on the road as quickly as possible. Some policies offer roadside assistance, while others could help you if your car won’t start at home.
Windscreen cover helps repair or replace your windscreen, rear screen or side windows following an incident.
Personal accident cover provides extra cover on the policy against injury and/or death caused by an accident. Most comprehensive policies have some level of personal accident cover for the driver included as standard - this extra cover usually extends it to everyone in the car.
Driving abroad cover offers a higher level of protection for when you're driving your van outside the UK. It also covers you for a longer period compared to what's normally included in a standard policy (about 30 days is standard).
Personal effects cover protects any gadgets or valuables that are stolen from the van or are damaged in an accident.
Courtesy car cover provides you with a replacement car or van while yours is in the garage undergoing repairs.
What our van insurance expert says
The best time to switch your van insurance policy is around 3 weeks before your existing policy renews - that's when you're most likely to see the best prices. But don't worry if you don't quite make it - there are still plenty of other ways to save on your van insurance.
Dan McCulloch
Head of van insurance
Types of van insurance
Commercial van insurance
protects your van and its cargo if you use your van for haulage or business use.
Temporary van insurance
gives you cheap, short-term cover from 1 to 28 days for social and business use.
"Easy enough to use, very competitive."
Arwel - Confused.com customer (March 2023)
"Easy to use and produces results quickly."
James - Confused.com customer (March 2023)
"Quick and easy to see the various quote comparisons."
Philip - Confused.com customer (March 2023)
Need more help?
Can I transfer my car's no-claims bonus to my van?
Yes you can. Most insurers allow you to transfer a no-claims bonus between different types of vehicle.
You can usually only use your NCB on one vehicle or insurance policy at any one time, though. If you have more than one vehicle, insurers may offer discounts on insuring a second one by mirroring your no-claims bonus. This isn’t a guarantee though, so always check with the insurer directly before getting a policy.
What is any -driver van insurance?
Any driver van insurance is a policy that allows anyone to drive the van. This could be useful for employers who need multiple employees to be able to drive their vans.
Given the added risk of letting anybody behind the wheel, any driver van insurance tends to be more expensive than a standard van insurance policy.
Does my insurance cover the goods/tools I carry?
Standard van insurance policies often don’t cover any goods or tools that you carry in the van. If you want to cover these, it’s worth considering tools in van insurance cover. This is usually an add-on to your policy and comes at an added cost.
Am I insured to drive my van abroad?
Most van insurance policies should offer some level of cover while you’re driving abroad, usually for up to 30 to 90 days.
If you want to stay covered for longer than that, you might need extended cover to drive abroad. Get in touch with your insurance company to see if they can extend your van insurance cover.
Can I put more than one van on my insurance policy?
Yes you can. Many insurers offer multi-van insurance. Putting more than one van on the same policy can often be cheaper than insuring each one separately. We don't currently compare multi-van insurance but it's something we're hoping to offer in the future.
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