Cheap Van Insurance Compare & switch to save £100s

It's possible to speedily search over 30 providers in just 10 minutes to save £100s on your van insurance. You haven't got to wait until renewal. Provided you haven't claimed, most insurers allow policies to be cancelled with a refund (but ALWAYS check no penalties apply), so you can start saving now!

Also see Motoring MoneySaving for 40+ tips to drive down motoring costs

Step 1: Getting the right cover

The price of cover depends on the insurer, the level of cover and how risky you're perceived to be. Most of the issues for vans are identical to those for car owners, so read the dos and dont's in the Car Insurance guide too, such as getting your job right (see Car Insurance Job Picker tool to show the riskiest jobs).

However, a few issues are much more specific to van insurance.

Beware monthly payment plans

Whoever you insure with, if it gives an option to 'pay monthly', be careful. This usually involves the insurer lending you the full cost, then charging you interest for the privilege.

The interest rates are usually hideous. So either pay it off in full, or if you can't afford that, it's actually cheaper to pay with a 0% credit card for spending and make the repayments to that.

When not insured, you must get Sorn

The Continuous Insurance Enforcement scheme, which began in 2011, means all motor vehicles must be insured - even if no-one drives them. It aims to crack down on uninsured drivers.

The only way out is to insure the vehicle or apply for a Sorn (Statutory Off Road Notification) declaring that your vehicle will not be used. See Gov.uk for how to do this.

Step 2: Find cheapest van insurance quote

As insurance prices depend on an individual's unique circumstances, there's no single cheapest provider. The key is to get the most quotes in the shortest amount of time, then investigate the cheapest ones further.

The quickest way to do this is via screenscraper websites. Here, you enter your details and their software automatically fills in the required info at a host of brokers' and insurers' websites, 'scraping' their data to grab you a quote.

It's a very quick and easy way to quickly cover a huge chunk of the marketplace in minutes. Yet there are three big things to remember...

• The order maximises the search in the minimum time.How the order's picked

• Always double check your results. What to check

• Your data is being given to insurers. What insurers may do

Compare in the following order

Once you've found the cheapest

Once you've found the cheapest from the screenscrapers, there are two important checks to make:

• Double-check the quotes

  Click through to the insurance provider's own website to double-check the quotes. To speed up searches, comparison sites sometimes make a few assumptions.

• Examine how you're covered

  Is the policy suitable for you? If you want out-of-hours contact, is it included? It's worth playing around with some of the policy details to see the impact on the price. For example, try twiddling with the excess (the amount you pay towards each claim).

How screenscrapers and brokers work

Screenscrapers may seem like they're doing a similar job, as each search a number of different insurers, yet they're radically different beasts. My favourite analogy for this is to compare it to searching for the cheapest loaf of bread.

Each individual insurer is like a baker, so your choice is simply to buy the cheapest loaf it offers that fits your characteristics. Brokers are the equivalent to supermarkets; they stock a range of bakers' loaves and the price they charge depends on their relationship with the supplier.

Yet screenscrapers are like sending someone to speed round all the supermarkets and bakers to find the cheapest loaf from all of them.

What if my insurer goes bust?

The economic times we live in mean you never know which companies may be the next to have problems. Fortunately, insurance providers are covered by the Government-backed Financial Services Compensation Scheme, meaning if they go into default, you're protected.

The main way this happens is the FSCS will try to find another provider to take over your policy, or issue a substitute policy. However, if you have any ongoing claims, or need to make a claim before a new insurer is found, the FSCS should ensure these are covered. For full details, read the insurance section of the Savings Safety guide.

Step 3: Grab cashback and haggle

Using the system above should have found you a cheaper quote, but if you're a higher risk rider or just want to get a cheaper price, you can probably save even more.

Check special cashback websites

These are special sites carrying paid links from retailers and financial services providers. In other words, if you click through them and get a product they get paid. Importantly, they then give you some of this cash so you get the same product, plus a cut of its revenue.

Not all insurers are included, and you should never choose an insurer just for the cashback. But if your cheapest does pay out, why not grab it. If you're new to cashback sites, ensure you read the Top Cashback Sites guide for pros and cons before using them. If not, use the Cashback Sites Maximiser to find the highest payer for each insurer.

One thing to remember though - if you've used several comparison sites then buy your policy via a cashback site, it might not track unless you clear your computer's cookies first. Further information on deleting or controlling cookies is available at All About Cookies.

Haggle

Although the van insurance market is not as competitive as for cars, all companies are desperate to retain business.

Once you've got a decent alternative price from a comparison website, get on the phone and try to haggle (unless cashback's available, as that has to be via the net). There's usually massive price flexibility, but be fully armed with the cheapest quotes.

The first port of call should be your existing insurer. After all, if it can beat or even match the best quote, it saves the hassle of switching policy. If that doesn't work, take it to other insurers.

For more haggling tips, read the full Haggle On The High Street guide and 2013's top 10 firms to haggle with.

Cross-selling

Already have car, house and travel insurance with one insurer? You could call it to check if it provides van insurance and whether it'll give you a discount.

Step 4: Remember next year

Don't let your annual renewal policy catch you up and simply sign up for another year with the same insurer. If you apply for cover from your existing insurer as a new customer, it's likely you'll be given a cheaper price.

This is because van insurers - like any company - will happily profit from apathy. That's why renewal notifications are sent a blink's length before you have to cough up, you're then pressured for time and less likely to try and find a cheaper price.

To avoid being forced to decide quickly, diarise a warning six weeks before your renewal date, so there's plenty of time to sort out a new provider. You can use our free Tart Alert to help you.