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FCA Authorised and Regulated
Apricot, and all the insurers on our panel, are fully FCA authorised and regulated.
Friendly UK Customer Service
Our friendly UK team has over 35 years combined experience in car insurance.
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Policies to Suit Your Needs
Add options such as legal expenses cover, breakdown cover, etc.
Protected by FSCS
All policies are covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme for your peace of mind.
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Established members of the British Insurance Brokers Association.
Van insurance quotes NI
At Apricot we know how important it is for you to find a cheap van insurance quote from a reputable insurer. We can make life easier for you by comparing prices from top UK insurers to find you our best van insurance quote in seconds.
You can do an online quote quickly and easily. Once you have your quotation price you can buy your policy online or if you prefer you can call us to complete your purchase over the phone. You can pay by credit or debit card or pay by monthly direct debit. We can start your policy immediately.
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What our customers say about Apricot Insurance
P Markey
Northern Ireland
“My household claim was settled promptly and to my total satisfaction, thank you for all your help.”
C Montgomery
Lisburn, Northern Ireland
“I have bought my car insurance from Apricot Insurance for the last few years – their staff are always friendly and easy to deal with.”
D Adams
Northern Ireland
“I am delighted that you could place my van insurance as I was having difficulty with other brokers. The premium was the best in the market and your attention to detail and friendly approach made it easy for me.”
Van insurance NI
Getting van insurance NI has never been easier with Apricot Insurance, Northern Ireland-based broker with a superb team with 35+ years combined experience. (We also offer van insurance for the whole of the UK).
Cheap van insurance
By law, you must have van insurance if you drive a van but that does not mean you have to pay criminally high prices, with the help of Apricot – your UK-based van insurance broker. Apricot will compare van insurance quotes from top companies to help find you cheap van insurance, whether you want a basic policy to cover a third party in an accident or need specialist insurance because you use your van for certain jobs.
What type of van insurance cover do I need?
If you’re driving a van, you need insurance, just as if you were driving a car. Whether it’s for business use or purely personal (for example, having a van to go surfing or camping), it’s a legal requirement to have third party cover in place at a minimum.
Third party cover
Third party cover protects you if you injure someone or damage their property in using your van, or if your passengers get injured. In the event of an accident, you will have to pay to get your own vehicle back on the road.
Third party fire and theft
This type of cover is the next level up. This does the same as third party cover, paying out if you become liable for a third-party injury or property damage. Third party fire and theft also means your van is protected from damage arising from fire or theft. It doesn’t, however, cover you if you for damage to your van in an accident or other incident.
Comprehensive cover
Comprehensive cover, on the other hand, provides all the protection of third-party fire and theft, but also pays out if your van is damaged in an accident or by crime and needs repair or replacement. Some policies may include breakdown cover. If not, this can be added on at a price.
Does my cover depend on how I use my van?
In addition to the type of cover you’ll require, you’ll also be asked about the intended use for the van. This can be broken down into private and commercial cover for your van. Private van insurance is cheaper to buy than commercial van insurance because work vans are generally used more regularly leaving them more at risk of theft and/or damage and, of course, you’ll be clocking up the miles.
Social domestic pleasure only
If you don’t commute in your van and don’t use it for business purposes, this might be the cheapest way to get quality private van insurance.
Social domestic, pleasure and commuting
You cannot use your van for business use with this type of private van insurance, but you can use it to commute to work.
Business for the carriage of own goods
If, for example, you’re a tradesman and need to carry your tools or supplies, this commercial van insurance is likely to be the best option for you.
Business use for carriage of goods for hire and reward
If you’re carrying goods for other people, for a fee, then this is the commercial van cover you’re likely to need.
Business use for haulage
This is typically for commercial drivers who provide delivery of items over long distances.
It may be possible to change your personal cover to include some work activities, which will cost you less in monthly premiums than a fully-fledged commercial policy. If you’re still unsure what you need, you can call our friendly Northern Ireland team for help on your van insurance.
What are the benefits of commercial van insurance?
As mentioned, commercial van insurance NI is more expensive than taking out a private policy. Here’s why:
- The vehicle is more regularly used therefore more at risk.
- It will cover a wider area, maybe across the border (see below for more information on driving your van after Brexit). Decent commercial cover should protect you in all areas you will be driving in.
- You’ll often be covered for personal use on top of business use.
- More often than not, commercial van cover will be more comprehensive.
- Repairs are often carried out quicker in order to protect your business.
- You may have to cover multiple drivers.
If you have a larger business, fleet van insurance provides insurance for two or more vehicles. Aside from the convenience, fleet insurance tends to be cheaper than insuring all the vehicles individually and can cover any driver. The downside to this is that the insurer will not know each individual driver, which can bump up your premium.
How can I lower the cost of my cover?
As with all insurance companies, there are a number of ways to lower the cost of your insurance premium. The more years of driving experience you have under your belt will bring down costs on both commercial and private policies.
Your policy can also be affected by the type of area you live (postcode of where the van will be registered) and where you store your van overnight. You are left powerless on this score as the higher the crime statistics in any given postcode the higher the premium. Endorsements (penalty points) may seriously affect your premium, especially on a commercial policy.
The number of miles you drive, the size of the van, any endorsements (penalty points), and modifying your vehicle in any way can also affect your costs. However, we would recommend increasing your voluntary excess to significantly alter the price of your policy.
How might Brexit affect crossing the border with a van?
If you hold an NI/UK driving licence (private or commercial), you will not need an International Driving Permit (IDP) to drive in the Republic of Ireland. You will, however, need to carry your NI/UK driving licence.
From 2 August 2021, NI van drivers will no longer need to carry a physical Green Card when travelling across the border or driving in the rest of the EU, to prove they have valid insurance cover for their vehicle.
Compare prices
Insurance covering a business vehicle can be especially important as you need to make sure you protect your livelihood as well as your property. It does not matter what size or style of van you drive and what you use it for, making a price comparison online can help find you a cheap deal and ensure you get the right cover to meet your individual needs. It is easy to compare standard policies such as fully comprehensive; third party; and third party, fire, and theft.
Apricot searches quotes from a range of insurers to help provide you with a cheap van insurance quote. Comparing insurance prices online will help you make decisions about factors such as excess levels, levels of cover, and whether you want to pay annually or monthly. Whatever you choose, you can contact Apricot Insurance by telephone to buy, or purchase the policy through our website.
* 15.6% of customers paid £45 per month or less between July 2020 and June 2021.