Car insurance in Northern Ireland – what is the excess for?

Car insurance in Northern Ireland is no different from that elsewhere in a number of respects, including the fact that policies may contain what is called excess.

 

This is something that is sometimes misunderstood and occasionally resented, however, it is based upon some standard principles:

 

• car insurance in Northern Ireland is becoming increasingly competitive and insurers are under pressure to keep the price of their policies as low as is possible;

 

• they use a number of different techniques in order to try and do so and one of these is called excess (it is also sometimes referred to as the first part of a claim or the policy’s excess – and variations of thereof etc);

 

• the basic principle is that insurers may be able to offer more cost-attractive policy prices if the policyholder will agree to pay a specified amount towards the cost of any future claim – this payment is the excess;

 

• the reason that this may have a significant effect on the insurer is that it helps  them to avoid needing to administratively deal with very large numbers of relatively trivial accidents and potential subsequent small claims – as these may be under the excess threshold of their policies;

 

• some insurers may have a minimum obligatory excess on their policies but also offer a range of additional and entirely voluntary excess amounts with the end result typically being that the higher the excess you agree to pay, the lower the cost of your premium may often be;

 

• sometimes, some drivers believe that the excess exists solely for the benefit of the insurance company, whereas in fact, the reduction in the administration effort involved in processing many more small claims and the fact that they have been able to share some of the cost of claims with the policyholder, typically means that they will be able to keep their total insurance costs down to their customers;

 

• car insurance in Northern Ireland with excess may also benefit some drivers by stopping smaller value claims going through that may, if allowed, put at risk their no claims discount.

Car insurance Northern Ireland

Thankfully these days, options for obtaining car insurance in Northern Ireland are really on the increase.

Choices

With more and more companies returning to the Northern Ireland insurance marketplace, you may be able to see real choice on offer for the first time in a long while. If you couple this with the ever-increasing use of the internet, finding appropriate car insurance may never have been easier.

You may wish to bear in mind though, that your car and how you use it, is unique to you, so what is the best car insurance for someone else may not necessarily be best for you.

Prices

It may still be some time though before this new ease of access is matched by prices for car insurance in Northern Ireland that are equivalent to those on the mainland.

In the meantime though it may be possible to get those car insurance premiums moving in the right direction by taking a few positive steps that may also help keep your car that bit safer:

• have a think about the mileage you do over the course of a year – you could be paying too much if you actually drive less that your policy allows;
• park your car on your drive or in your garage rather than leaving it on the public highway when not in use;
• fitting alarms can also help keep your car where it should be;
• having younger drivers on your policy can be expensive – there may be options available for making special provisions for them for the times they will actually be driving the car;
• you may also find that opting for a slightly higher excess on your car insurance in Northern Ireland, may also help .

Online options for car insurance in Northern Ireland

If you are normally one of those drivers that just renews their car insurance in Northern Ireland with the same provider year after year, then you are not alone.

This situation is not really surprising because until fairly recently there was little choice around. It could be a very soul destroying exercise to trawl through quotes and offers only to find, at the last gasp, that deals were not available to Northern Ireland’s drivers.

Over recent years though, things have been changing and there are now more and more insurance providers offering often affordable car insurance cover for Northern Ireland motorists.

The chances are that you may be able to find cover for your vehicle that may offer a more cost-effective solution than the policy you have at present.

This may be attributed to a number of factors, the most important of which may be choice:

• with more providers to choose from, companies may now be having to attract you to them rather than sitting back waiting for you to dutifully renew your policy;
• for you to become one of their customers rather than one of their competitor’s customers, they may be more open to offering premium discounts or increased policy benefits and features in order to get your business.

It is important to note that different providers of car insurance in Northern Ireland may put different emphasis on different features of their policies. For example, how much excess you would be expected to contribute to a claim may differ. This means you may typically benefit from reading through policy details carefully to find the cover that is the most suitable for your own particular set of requirements.

Car insurance in Northern Ireland is moving forward apace. It might make sense to make sure you don’t get left behind.

Compare car insurance Northern Ireland: what insurers want to know

If you want to compare car insurance in Northern Ireland insurance you may find when shopping around that providers will ask you a series of questions. It may feel like the Spanish inquisition, but each question helps them to determine how risky you and your vehicle would be to insure.

Car insurance in Northern Ireland has historically been more expensive than the cover available on mainland UK for a variety or reasons. Now, however, insurers are becoming more and more competitive in their approach, as they actively seek your business. So what will they typically want to know when you compare car insurance Northern Ireland cover?

Who are you?

If you are a student or a young person, you may find that the premiums you are offered are much higher than the cover that is available for older people. There is little that can be done about this, although you may find that specialist insurers who deal mostly with students or new drivers might be a little more understanding about your inexperience.

On the other hand, if you are a more mature driver, now is the time to benefit from your experience and get an attractively priced premium!

What is your car like?

One of the benefits of having a more modest car is that cheaper and widely available models are typically less expensive to insure than pricier, rarer makes. And if you drive a classic car, you may find that insurers who specialise in cover for older cars and / or classic cars may offer a discount or a more competitive rate.

How much do you drive?

If you cover a lot of mileage each year, this needs to be declared to the insurance companies. Otherwise you may find that an insurer does not pay out if there is an accident, as they could void the policy because of the wrong information that you provided (even if you did not deliberately give false information).

Where do you keep the car?

When you compare car insurance Northern Ireland providers will typically want to know where your car is kept so they can assess the potential risk of theft. Accordingly, if you keep the vehicle in a locked, secure garage, an insurer will deem this to be less risky than keeping your car on the road or in a public car park.
Of course, there are online car insurance Northern Ireland brokers who allow you to access a range of quotes from one form, so this may be a quicker and easier way of comparing NI car insurance cover.