Some tips about motor insurance in Northern Ireland
Perhaps because our choice was relatively limited compared to the mainland UK, over some years we may have become a little complacent in terms of getting the best deals on insurance. So here are a few tips relating to motor insurance in Northern Ireland.
Shop around!
We all know that times are changing. As a result, there’s never been more choice and shopping around could save you a lot of money.
Sadly, there are still quite a lot of companies that don’t offer their policies in Northern Ireland but more and more are. There are internet sites that offer links to those companies that do.
Think about drivers!
Whether we think it’s fair or not doesn’t matter, the fact is that typically insurance companies don’t like very young drivers. They see them as high risk.
They also may get edgy about a policy that has to cover any driver – that means that just about anyone could drive your vehicle with your permission and that again adds risk.
Try keeping the numbers of drivers down and the ages up – it may result in big savings on your premium.
Watch the road!
Your car is typically at higher risk if it’s parked overnight on the public highway than if it’s in your driveway or garaged. If you can achieve that then do so – your insurance company will like it and may reduce their price of motor insurance in Northern Ireland a little in response.
Engage in excess!
The excess is an amount of money that you agree to pay as the first part of any future claim.
Typically, the higher the excess you take, the more the insurer will respond in reducing your premium.
Join a motoring organisation!
All insurance companies welcome signs of maturity and responsibility. One way to demonstrate this is by joining a recognised motoring association and some insurers will reward this accordingly.
Think flexibly:
A few basic steps such as those listed above could help get your quotes for motor insurance in Northern Ireland going in the right direction! Most insurers will make clear right up-front just what you can do to get your costs down and spending a few minutes reading that sort of detail may help you identify even more options.
Insurance quotes for Northern Ireland – past and present
For some years, getting insurance quotes for Northern Ireland could seem to be a bit like begging for favours – but things are happening!
Past times
Anyone much over the age of 40 or 50 may remember the days when getting an insurance quotation was a fairly big deal.
It involved putting on some decent clothes, going down to the high street to an insurer or broker and then asking very, very nicely, if they would do you the great honour of taking your money in return for some insurance.
Shopping around was difficult bordering impossible and a lot of the time it was a question of taking what you were given. Some would say it was only slightly less intimidating than a visit to the bank manager!
As the world changed in the 1980s and 90s, competition increased hugely as did the culture of buying insurance. Prices were driven down and consumers started to be in the driving seat. The arrival firstly of telephone insurers and then the internet, also meant that insurers had to be really on their toes and that the customer was king.
Insurance in Northern Ireland
Of course, it has to be said that here in Northern Ireland the special circumstances meant that to some extent at least, we weren’t able to fully participate in this insurance revolution. Choice remained limited and prices, relatively speaking, high.
Yet this is changing.
Insurance quotes for Northern Ireland
More and more mainland UK insurance companies are now offering their policies across the water. This is great news as it increases competition.
Whether you’re looking for property or motor vehicle insurance in Northern Ireland, there are now options available that would not have existed even a few years ago.
It’s therefore worth making just that little bit more effort to look around if you need insurance or your existing policy is coming up for renewal. If you have access to the internet – you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home to do so!
The price of insurance in Northern Ireland
There’s no point pretending though that everything is now entirely routine in terms of insurance quotes for Northern Ireland. Until confidence improves further, premiums are likely to stay a little higher than UK mainland norms.
Remember though, you can help keep your prices as low as possible by looking for policies that offer reductions for things such as:
- cars not parked on public roads overnight;
- fitting specialist locks and alarms (cars or property);
- taking a higher excess.
If you’re looking for insurance quotes for Northern Ireland, keeping these things in mind may save you significant amounts of money.
