Private Van Insurance

Private Van insurance social domestic pleasure & commuting

Many of us use a van for non-commercial purposes, mostly for leisure, example a day van used for fishing outings or water sports. If you fall into this user category, you will need private use van insurance (also known as personal van insurance). This cover will insure you to use your van in a personal (i.e. non-business) capacity on UK roads. Within the insurance industry it is classified as a social, domestic, pleasure and commuting policy. It is cheaper than business or company van insurance as you pose a lower risk company van insurance. This type of cover will be provided cover when the van or camper van is used to take a holiday, going shopping or just a trip to the beach.

What is van insurance for private use?

What is considered van insurance for private use is the lowest costing cover an owner can have and still be legal on the road in their non-commercial vehicle. In most cases it is the third party cover that is the cheapest, but that is not always the case, as such compare all 3 cover options if you are looking for the cheapest option.

Third party only cover provides basic protection against third-party claims if they are at fault in a motor vehicle accident on the road. This cover provides funds for the third-party vehicle’s damage. There are no funds provided for the owner of the policy for repairs to their van. Third-party insurance is the legal minimum cover required to drive on the UK roads.

What factors can affect the price of personal use van insurance?

Van insurance quotes for private or personal use are based on a number of variables personal to you and the van that you drive. They can include:

• Age of Van, value and cost of parts and labour to repair, 
• Use is a simple day van that you only use for fishing or other sports and leisure activities
• Where the van is stored when not in use
• Your occupation, some occupations for example a police officer will benefit the driver as falling into a lower risk occupation category 
• The amount of voluntary excess, increasing this, will likely reduce the cost of cover
• Your age and where you live. If you are parking your van in a high risk post code associated with a high crime rate, expect to pay more. 

Is the cheapest van insurance always third party only?

The cheapest van insurance for private use is normally third party only, but that does not mean it is the best value for the money spent. With third party fire and theft cover, your vehicle is protected if it is damaged by fire or is stolen or damaged by thieves. This cover is normally slightly more expensive than the basic legally required cover.

What most owners do not realise is that since your van is part of the cover, where it is parked affects the cost of the premium. By it being parked in a safe and secure location, a discount could be given by the insurance firm to lower the cost of the premium where it is close to the cost of third party cover. This discount is not provided for policyholders with Third party only, since your van is not included in the insurance policy in terms of being repaired.

How to lower the cost on van insurance social domestic pleasure commuting

If obtaining affordable van insurance for private use is your goal, remember to look at the value the policy has as compared to the other low-cost covers. There are some instances where full comprehensive cover is cheaper when the vehicle is involved in an accident, and you do not have to pay for the repairs of your vehicle. 

Speed limits for private Van Drivers

Vans are subject to different speed limits than cars :

• Single carriageways – 50mph
• Dual carriageways – 60mph
• Motorways – 70mph

What you’ll need to have ready before you start comparing personal use van Insurance quotes 

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