Getting car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland

Today one can finally start to think about getting car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland without necessarily flinching.

We all know how frustrating that experience would have been in years past and why.

Today though, a combination of changing circumstances and the arrival of the internet, are jointly starting to change all that.

The background

In the case of the former, there are now larger numbers of insurers who are taking the plunge back into the Northern Ireland car insurance market place. This, through market forces, should lead to increased competition, improved access to cover and in time, more attractive prices.

Of course, the insurance market here isn’t yet entirely regular and some insurers are still holding off but the position seems to be improving each year.

The technology

Being able to market their products across the internet has done wonders for many insurers and has typically been well received by the consumer.

Sometimes at the click of a button you can now get car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland without having the sheer hassle of trying to look at individual insurers yourself to see if they offer their policies over here.

That’s potentially a great saving of time and effort (not to say frustration).

Your control

Once upon a time, trying to get discounts on insurance in Northern Ireland was difficult – to say the least.

However, increasing choice and the flexibility of technology both mean that you may be able to help keep your insurance costs down by taking a few sensible steps including:

• parking your vehicle off the public road when not in use;
• making sensible use of security devices such as alarm and wheel clamps etc;
• avoiding trying to cover very young or inexperienced drivers on your policy;
• keeping down your estimated annual mileage.

All these things may help you obtain car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland that are a little bit kinder on your pocket!

Car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland: the basics

Quite a few years ago car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland would often have been slightly more expensive than mainland UK prices. However, recently prices are getting a bit more realistic and now that British household names are getting in on the act, drivers in Northern Ireland have a wider range of policies to choose from. The question is: how should you make that selection?

Compare prices

There’s no excuse for not shopping around. If you are looking for car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland online, the process only takes a couple of minutes if you use a car NI car insurance website, so it may be worth investing that amount of time to look for a good deal.

Most providers want to know your personal details, along with some information about the car itself and where it is kept. It’s important to give this information accurately, as even an innocent mistake can lead to the policy being voided on the grounds of false information.

When insurers give their quotes the prices speak for themselves, but don’t forget to look for details of what is included in the cover so that you can be sure that you are comparing like for like. Added extras like breakdown cover, personal belongings insurance and free hire cars can raise the cost of the premium, so decide whether these are essential to you, or whether you would prefer slightly cheaper, more basic cover.

Are there any discounts available?

Car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland can sometimes be reduced by the following factors:

• no claims discount. If you are a careful driver, make sure that you let insurers know about your no claims bonus. This can reduce the cost of your insurance and potentially make the premium more attractive;
• keeping your car in the garage. If you have a garage full of junk, empty it and park your car inside! Insurers perceive cars that are kept in garages as less likely to be stolen or damaged, so you could save yourself some money.
• fitting an immobiliser. Many newer cars have these fitted anyway, but if you have an older car it might be worth fitting one to make the vehicle more difficult to steal.
• calculating your mileage. If you only use the car for local journeys, take a moment to calculate how far you travel each year. It might not be as far as you think. A lower mileage limit could result in a lower premium;
• having a higher excess. At first glance it does seem odd to volunteer to have a higher excess. But this may make a difference when you are looking for car insurance quotes for Northern Ireland. Typically a higher excess means a slightly discounted premium.