Looking for the cheapest car insurance in Northern Ireland?
Car insurance costs a lot of money and there’s no point paying more for it than is necessary. Historically, the special circumstances in Northern Ireland meant that searching for really good deals was something of a challenge. Today though, shopping around to find the cheapest car insurance in Northern Ireland is not only possible but also possibly sensible.
The new Northern Ireland insurance market
As normality has returned to our daily lives over recent years, the insurance companies have started to move back into selling their products and services in Northern Ireland.
No longer are we restricted to dealing with only the specialist and niche insurance providers. As competition increases, so does choice and hopefully pricing will become increasingly competitive also.
The internet is also driving change. It’s now possible to see a wide selection of products that are delivered right to your living room. Convenience is hardly the word for it!
Reducing effort
Of course, if you’re looking for the cheapest car insurance in Northern Ireland, it’s not all good news. Quite a few insurance companies still haven’t yet geared up to providing their car insurance here and it’s only too easy to waste time trawling through various insurance companies on the internet trying to find those that do.
The solution may be the specialist Northern Ireland car insurance consolidation websites that offer direct links to those companies that do offer their policies here.
You may find that you save yourself a lot of time indeed!
Keeping prices down
It may sound like stating the obvious but you typically can also help find yourself cheaper car insurance by changing your circumstances.
For example, if you fit one of a range of approved security devices and alarms, you may find that the insurance company will reduce your premium. The same may also apply if you garage or park your car off public roads overnight. You may also be able to reduce the price by agreeing to pay a higher excess in the event of an accident.
All things worth thinking about if you’re looking for some of the cheapest car insurance in Northern Ireland!
Trying to compare insurance in Northern Ireland
We all like choice. As a result, when shopping for anything, few of us enjoy being told that there’s only one option available. That’s certainly the case when talking about insurance and most of us would like to be able to compare insurance in Northern Ireland in the same way as is typically possible on the UK mainland.
A stable market
Ok, it has to be said that historically insurance in Northern Ireland was, of course different. Some insurance companies saw the various risks as being unacceptable and didn’t even offer their products into our particular marketplace. Others did so but usually at very inflated price levels.
What this meant was that insurance was often seen as a specialist and niche function and many risks were perhaps understandably classified as hard-to-place. Many policyholders would find a certain form of cover and simply stick to it partly through habit and inertia but also significantly because the alternatives choices were limited or perhaps even non-existent in some cases.
Shopping around for insurance in Northern Ireland
Yet times have changed. Increasing political stability and progress means that the larger insurance companies are now making their presence felt. The increasing use of the internet is also making it easier for potential buyers to look around and check deals to see if what they’re currently getting is up-to-scratch in terms of cover and price.
This is potentially great news for all our wallets!
There are even specialist sites around that can provide access to a number of insurance providers that are selling insurance in Northern Ireland. Using this sort of site may save you a lot of time and possibly also money and allow you to more easily compare insurance in Northern Ireland on a policy-by-policy basis.
Keep in mind some variables
If you are looking to compare insurance in Northern Ireland, it may be worth remembering that you need to compare like with like.
For example, not all companies offer the same discounts for taking certain risk-reducing steps such as:
- using security and anti-theft devices such as alarms on houses and cars;
- accepting higher voluntary excesses on the policies;
- reducing the number of younger drivers listed on car insurance cover etc.
So, whilst a policy may appear cheaper at face value, another one may prove to be a far better deal because they offer higher discounts if you use some of the above options.
The future
Predicting the future is a dangerous game but assuming that current trends continue, it should become easier to compare insurance in Northern Ireland as competition increases and the insurance marketplace normalises. It may be that for some time to come prices will remain above UK mainland norms but the overall trend may be downwards.
Is the cheapest car insurance in Northern Ireland good value for money?
Many people think twice when offered the “cheapest” of products on the market. With good reason, too, since cheap might sometimes mean second-rate or simply cut-price. With the recent growth in the number of providers and the fierce competition between them, however, some of the cheapest car insurance in Northern Ireland might be found without cutting any corners or sacrificing any quality. For the first time in many a year, the “cheapest” car insurance might actually represent simple good value for money.
Competition
Competition amongst suppliers is a great thing as far as the consumer is concerned – the more suppliers, the greater the pressure on them all to keep prices as low as possible. What’s prevented this simple law of economics from working very well in Northern Ireland in the past is that there have been too few car insurance companies prepared to do business in the Province – they had been put off taking the risks by pictures during the “troubles” of burning vehicles and the high incidence of stolen cars taken for “joy-riding”.
But as the peace has slowly been won in Northern Ireland, so too has competition returned to the market place for motor insurance – and none more so than in the present fashion for internet sales. With lower operating costs when marketing online, insurance companies are now offering surprisingly some of the cheapest car insurance Northern Ireland has seen in many years.
Help yourself
Of course, there are still ways in which you might help yourself by keeping the costs of motor insurance lower still:
- your driving history – insurers love a careful driver and one who has made few insurance claims in the past (since they’re likely to maintain that clean record in the future). Avoiding claims is the sure way to build up your no claims discount and save on the cost of premiums in the years ahead;
- excess – share more of the risks with your insurer by agreeing to a higher voluntary excess. This helps to show your faith in your own careful driving and the insurer typically grants a lower premium as the reward;
- immobilisers – fitting immobilising devices and/or alarms to the vehicle demonstrates your awareness of the need to secure car whenever it is left unattended. Once again, many insurers reward the owner’s responsibility with a discounted premium;
- Level of insurance – if your car is old or of relatively little value, you might consider whether fully comprehensive insurance is really necessary and, instead, opt for third party, fire and theft cover only.
In summary, therefore, increased competition in the market place, the advantages of shopping on the internet, and a careful appreciation of the type and level of cover you might need, all add up to some of the cheapest car insurance Northern Ireland has enjoyed for quite some time.
Where can I compare insurance for Northern Ireland?
When shopping is a question of finding the best value for money, one of the key things you’ll want to do is to compare the prices of as many comparable products as possible. It’s as true of insurance as it is of any other product, of course, but just where might you compare insurance for Northern Ireland?
After several decades of “troubles”, many insurers showed their reluctance to offer their products to residents of a sometimes violent and unsettled community by simply keeping out of the market. Now that a sense of settled “normality” is being enjoyed within the Province, it also has seen the return of even the bigger name insurance companies. The renewed competition that a greater number of players brings to the market place is also accompanied by that master-stroke of modern-day marketing, the internet.
Comparable products
Just as with any comparison of consumer products, when using the internet to compare insurance for Northern Ireland residents it is important to make sure that you are comparing like with like. For example, if you are looking to compare:
- home insurance you’ll probably consider whether each one offers all risks, accidental cover or not, or whether the settlement of any claim is on a “wear and tear” or full replacement basis, depending on what the cover that best suits your needs; or
- motor insurance, then you’ll be comparing quotes for third party; third party, fire and theft; or comprehensive insurance, again based on the cover you need.
Compare prices
Once you have established the appropriate level of cover, NII online providers tend to often offer a fast, easy and very convenient way of comparing prices in terms of the premiums you need to pay. Moreover, since you’ve been able to specify the kind of insurance and the level of cover in your search terms, you are likely to be more confident that the lowest prices offered represent genuine value for money and not simply a cut-price, lower quality product.
Online insurance quotes, from a wide range of competitively priced insurers, therefore, are now available to allow consumers realistically to compare insurance in Northern Ireland.
What affects insurance quotes Northern Ireland?
When you apply for your insurance, the insurance provider considers numerous factors before providing you with a quote for the protection. This applies to any type of insurance, whether you wish to take out home, car, motorbike, caravan, life insurance, or any other type of policy. However if you are applying for insurance quotes Northern Ireland you may be turned down for protection because of where you live. Luckily, there are websites that consider this and help you to look for insurance with providers offering residents of Northern Ireland all types of insurance.
Factors taken into account to determine quotes
- If you are looking for car, motorbike, caravan or any other type of motor or vehicle insurance, security is one of the factors taken into account that goes towards how much you pay for your policy. Therefore if you install additional security measures you potentially decrease the risk of theft and so may make savings on the cost of the insurance;
- Along with this the engine size, model, and type of vehicle influences how much you pay for insurance. Typically the larger the engine size or vehicle the more you pay for cover. To keep down the premiums you may wish to choose a family size car as opposed to a sports car;
- When looking for home insurance the provider takes security into account and factors such as your postcode, type of property and level of cover required plus many other factors;
- Life insurance providers typically take your state of health, your age, your lifestyle, family history and even your job into account to determine how much you pay for your insurance premiums. Therefore, you may wish to ensure you live a healthy lifestyle by not smoking and drinking and by keeping your weight to a normal height/weight ratio.
The above are just some of the factors taken into account, which may affect your insurance quotes Northern Ireland. When considering any type of insurance policy you may wish to check for any exclusions or limitations in the protection to ensure you know exactly what you are protected against.
Choose from car insurance companies Northern Ireland
If you reside in Northern Ireland, you may have had trouble in the past choosing cover from car insurance companies Northern Ireland. Residents may be turned away from insurance deals simply due to the fact of where they live. However, there are certain websites that allow you to search for suitable deals with many insurance providers.
Shopping around instead of renewing your policy
If you already have car insurance, you may wish to consider the possibility of looking around for your insurance instead of just renewing your policy when the premiums are due. This may save you a great deal of money as often, insurance premiums which started off low and perhaps offered the most suitable deal at the time, may not do so anymore.
Consider the security of your vehicle
Security is a quite rightly a big issue for insurance providers and they may ask that you take certain preventative measures in order to get cover as well as potentially offering discounted premiums if you install security items over and above what they require.
So, when considering security issues you may wish to give thought to installing the best quality alarm system on your car that you are able to afford. A tracking device helps to recover a stolen car and may help towards keeping insurance costs down. You might also consider keeping your vehicle locked in a garage when not in use. This helps to deter thieves and keeps your vehicle off the roadside where it may be a victim to vandals and damage from other passing vehicles.
Consider the most suitable form of protection
The type of insurance you choose is typically based on the value of the car. If you are buying a top of the range car, it may make sense to take out fully comprehensive insurance to protect it. Fully comprehensive insurance provides numerous benefits for the car owner and for the third party.
If your vehicle is over a certain age or you are buying a used car you might wish to consider taking out third party fire and theft, which typically works out cheaper. However, while you save money you have to give up the majority of protection for your own car. The policy typically provides protection against fire and theft for your vehicle and protection for the third party.
These are just a few of the factors you might wish to consider when it comes to taking a policy from car insurance companies Northern Ireland.
Buying direct insurance, Northern Ireland
The explosion in the use of the internet has been a real boon to the consumer in terms of generally lower prices. With insurance products, in particular, however, prices may well have been lowered, but the sheer range of choice between competing suppliers has the tendency to make buying direct insurance in Northern Ireland an especially confusing business. Even when buying direct, therefore, you may find that a specialist broker might help you to find the best deal on the market.
Internet shopping
The difference between shopping on the high street and on the internet, of course, is that the latter has no actual shop-front. Shops are expensive to maintain, with the costs of premises and the employment of staff for ever going up. These are costs that inevitably need to be passed on to the customer one way or another. Internet marketing is largely free of such overhead costs and the savings are generally free to be passed on to the consumer. Buying direct insurance in Northern Ireland – just as anywhere else in the UK – therefore, often results in cheaper insurance premiums.
Furthermore, because access to the internet is so readily available to just about any insurance provider, this has led to a huge growth in the number of providers competing to sell their products to consumers. Once again, competition in the market appears to have had the effect of reducing the cost of premiums.
Internet shopping in Northern Ireland
One of the great things about the internet, of course, is that it helps to tear down many geographical boundaries. Looking for deals on line takes as little effort whether you are cosily sat at home in north London or in Northern Ireland. When you are searching for the particular insurance you need, the insurer naturally needs to know where in the country that cover needs to apply. Nevertheless, buying direct insurance, Northern Ireland, now embraces a huge range of insurance types – from motor insurance to home insurance, from health insurance to travel insurance, and everything in between.
In search of car insurance for Northern Ireland?
Why do motorists in Northern Ireland end up paying more for their car insurance than practically anyone else in the United Kingdom? It’s likely to be a source of some annoyance, of course, to those who find themselves having to fork out more for this essential cost of motoring, yet the product itself is basically no different to the one covering drivers anywhere else in the country. After years in the gloom, however, car insurance for Northern Ireland is beginning to see some new light of day.
The “dark†side
It was “the troublesâ€, of course, that were largely to blame for the car insurance blight – or, rather, the dearth of insurers prepared to take on the particular risks and perils that faced anyone who owned a car in the province. At the height of those turbulent years, it was the ordinary man’s motor car that ended up ablaze, as it was caught up at the wrong time in the wrong place between opposing factions, or seized upon as the most readily available barricade. If it hadn’t been set on fire in this way, chances were statistically more likely than anywhere else in the country that it might be stolen for an equally perilous “joy-riding†spree.
A new dawn
Things have moved on, however, and the worst of the troubles are slipping into history as almost every aspect of life enjoys a new dawn in the reviving fortunes of the province. Not before time, that new dawn is also beginning to make its mark on car insurance for Northern Ireland. With peace and stability has come a keener interest by a wide range of insurance companies in the motorists of the province. Keener competition amongst such providers is gradually forcing the price of premiums down. Although these still tend to be steeper than the prices quoted for those living in the mainland UK, the cost is at last moving in the right direction for Northern Ireland’s motorists.
Comparing car insurance companies Northern Ireland
When comparing car insurance companies in Northern Ireland, until recently it may have seemed that those who live in NI are limited to providers on the high street. While it is possible to compare insurance online, you may have found that some providers do not offer their policies to those who reside in NI.
If you want to take advantage of savings this way, you may find it easier approaching a specialist broker who is able to search on your behalf. When comparing companies there are many factors you may want to consider, as some may offer you more for your money than others do.
When comparing insurance with different companies one of the things you may want to look into is how much excess you are asked to pay on the policy. All insurance providers state a minimum amount that you need to pay if you were to make a claim on your policy. This money has to be found by you out of your own pocket so you may want to compare how much the insurance company would require as an excess compared to others.
You may also want to check if you have to pay an extra amount of excess on windscreens and windows if they are damaged or have to be replaced. You may be asked to pay excess if your windscreen has to be totally replaced, however some insurance companies may repair windscreens without asking for the excess.
Look at whether a courtesy car would be available in the event of a claim as well as things like a legal helpline. Some insurers may offer these as free benefits while with others you may have to pay for them.
Some car insurance companies in Northern Ireland may allow you to take out limited mileage insurance if you do not go over a certain amount of miles in any one year. This may allow you to make savings for example if you are insuring a second car and it is not used much. You may also be able to save on the cost of your cover if you insure more than one car at the same time or if you take out another form of insurance with that provider, for example caravan cover.
Direct insurance Northern Ireland may be hard to find
Direct insurance Northern Ireland may be hard to find as some insurance companies still shy away from providing cover to residents of NI. If you live in Northern Ireland and you have had trouble in the past in obtaining car insurance then you might want to try with a specialist insurance broker who specifically searches for insurance for those residing in NI.
Along with looking for insurance this way there are things that you are able to do before you go searching for cover that affect how much those quotes may work out. One of the first decisions that greatly affect how much you pay for your car insurance is the type of cover. You may choose to take out third party fire and theft or fully comprehensive.
If you have an older model of car, you may want to choose third party fire and theft as this is typically the cheapest way to cover your car. However, it provides little by way of insurance for your vehicle other than if it is stolen or if it is damaged or destroyed as the result of a fire. If your car is a brand new model or costs over a certain amount then you may want to pay more in premiums and have fully comprehensive insurance. This typically provides all the benefits of a third party policy and more for your vehicle.
When considering buying a car you may want to look at how much it costs to insure it before buying it. While it may be tempting to buy one of the flashier imported sports models, you have to consider the cost of spare parts in the event that your car is in an accident. Spare parts for imported cars often cost a great deal more than the ones for a UK model. This of course may be reflected in the cost of your car insurance.
Improving the security of your car before applying for direct insurance Northern Ireland may also help you to keep down the cost of your insurance. An alarm system, wheel clamp, steering wheel lock or a tracking device may all help you to improve the security and help you get competitively priced car insurance.