Cheap van insurance experts say that van drivers across the length and breadth of the UK are in search of the best ways to reduce their operating costs, with many of these drivers looking to compare van insurance in an effort to find the most affordable rates.

Commercial van insurance policy holders are much like their counterparts with cover for their personal cars – cutting back on day-to-day outgoings is usually in the forefront of their mind, especially since petrol prices continue their inexorable climb skyward.  The first week of this month saw many people panic buying fuel due to fears of a tanker worker strike, leading oil firms to raise their prices in order to capitalise on the high levels of demand, leaving many drivers scrambling to find the best way to cut their motoring costs.

While customers have little to no control over the price of petrol, industry experts say that you can switch insurance providers if you’re looking for a way to save money.  Insurers remain competitive, and many will offer their best rates in order to entice new customers, but this results in loyal motorists getting the short end of the stick at renewal time; if you’ve recently received your renewal paperwork in the post and are disgusted at your new annual insurance premium, waste no time in looking for an alternative provider, experts say.

There are other ways to offset the cost of fuel for van drivers in addition to selecting a more affordable insurer.  Experts say that you should check your tyre pressure regularly, as driving with tyres that are low can reduce your van’s fuel efficiency.

Experts say that changing the details on your van insurance policy could cost you, as a fee of as much as £30 could be charged to you independent of any changes to your premium.

Cheap insurance providers say that such fees are only used to cover the administrative costs of making changes to a customer’s policy.  However, with different commercial van insurance providers charging various fees, evidence seems to say that insurers simply charge their customers whatever they feel they can get away with charging.

Policyholders wanting to change their name after an event such as marriage would be able to do so for free if they are insured with many providers.  However, there are some, such as Swiftcover, that would charge a £30 fee to update your details.

Another fly in the ointment with Swiftcover is that the provider does not charge customers for changing their personal details via the insurer’s website.  Industry experts suggest that the company feels the time spent by a call centre representative making the changes – which could not possibly take more than a few minutes at most – is worth £30; however, you would be hard pressed to find a call centre staff worker paid as much as £30 an hour, much less £30 for every five-minute call they handle, and with the high stress of working at a call centre while countless disgruntled policy holders ring you up for hours on end, £30 an hour is not nearly enough to pay for the therapy needed after working such a position for any length of time.

Van drivers and van insurance policy holders have been stretched to the absolute limit lately by monthly running costs with diesel prices at record high and the price of a litre of petrol rising higher than 140p.

Many van drivers have tried to make savings wherever they can, leading some to attempt to offset the costs of fuel by looking for cheap van insurance quotes.  Many have attempted to compare van insurance by using comparison sites in order to find some respite, especially since diesel is now 146.72p a litre, a record high, and petrol has risen to 140.2p, with industry insiders stating that these price increases are unlikely to abate any time soon.

One industry expert and an insurance partnerships director for a major comparison site, David Jackson, commented on the fuel increases, stating that there may be little that drivers can do to actually save money on fuel.  However, there are many other ways that have the potential for reducing overall driving costs and that could act to offset the increases in fuel prices, such as using a comparison site in order to find the best dealss.

Mr Jackson said that taking the time to compare rates could lead to discovering a less expensive alternative to insurance cover.  Switching providers could lead to substantial savings, which would leave more cash left over to pay at the pump with less angst and terror.

Most comparison sites specialise in much more than just van insurance, offering their customers a simplified and quick way to find the best deal on several financial products.  Many of these websites can also offer comparisons for utilities for the household, such as digital TV, broadband, phone, gas, and electricity as well.

With car insurance rates and fuel prices going through the roof, industry experts have urged van owners to purchase new vehicles instead of used ones to save on motoring costs.

According to the newest emissions report from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, newly-made vehicles are 18 per cent more fuel efficient than the average used vehicle, leading to less money spent at the pump and more available to buy van insurance.  This spells even more good news for drivers looking to replace their personal or commercial vehicles, especially since the new Plug-In Car Van Grant from the government has been offering discounts to businesses and drivers that plan to purchase lower emission vehicles in order to reduce carbon emissions in the UK.

The report discovered that nearly 47 per cent of new vehicles are currently meeting or exceeding the 130g/km CO2 emissions target set in place by the European Union for 2015.  The group has thus urged consumers to purchase new cars over used ones, with the SMMT’s chief executive, Paul Everitt, stating that the motor industry in the UK has been realising its responsibilities to reduce carbon emissions, and the opportunities this brings to the overall motoring industry in the form of increased fuel efficiency will benefit the country economically as well as environmentally, as drivers will have more cash left over to spend on other things, such as household bills or even possibly a night out, instead of having to fill their petrol tanks more often.

One leading van insurance broker has recently said that the number of customers looking for minivan quotes has increased by 9 per cent as an increasing number of van drivers are on the look out for vehicles that will be more fuel efficient than their current vehicles.

Commercial van insurance broker, Swinton Vans, has found a marked increase in activity in the minivan market, thought to be caused by the fuel duty increases scheduled to go into effect this summer as a result of the Government’s budget for 2012.  Rising fuel costs and a lack of cheap insurance has been a one-two punch for many drivers, leading a significant percentage of motorists to look into picking vehicles that are both less expensive to insure and that burn petrol more efficiently.

Minivans have fallen out of popularity since the 1960s, where they enjoyed a brief stint as the vehicle of choice for the Armed Forces, the police, the Post Office, and also small business owners.  However, the minivan may be making a comeback thanks to a strong appearance at last month’s Geneva Motor Show, where BMW’s new Mini Clubvan Concept was showcased.

More and more small businesses are making use of minivans today, with taxi firms, couriers, and home caterers all using the modestly-sized vehicles for urban commercial use.  The average minivan is vastly more fuel efficient than transit vans, with the Mini Clubvan running at an astounding 72.4 miles per gallon, which will be sure to make it an industry favourite when it comes to cutting costs.

One of the major comparison sites in the UK recently announced that two broking providers have recently joined its car insurance panel.

Sheilas’ Wheels Broker and esure broker, the broking arms of two brands of cheap insurance providers Sheilas’ Wheels and esure respectively, were both launched in November of last year in order to provide cover to a larger range of motorists in the UK.  Now, both providers are bringing their insurance panels to the comparison site, thus allowing the website to increase the number of options available to its prospective customers.

Both panels have a wide range of insurers selected with an eye towards not just providing personal car insurance but more specialised cover such as cheap van insurance as well.  Consumers will also benefit from call centres based in the UK and staffed around the clock, as well as conveniently being able to manage the details of their cover over the internet – and any insurer selected from Sheilas’ Wheels Broker’s panel will even offer up to £300 worth of handbag cover as free to anyone taking out comprehensive cover.

The comparison site’s insurance partnerships director, David Jackson, said that he was pleased that both brokers had joined the website’s panel.  The two new partnerships will enable the comparison site’s customers to have an even wider range of choices and possibly make even more savings than ever before, Mr Jackson added.

Comparison websites are great sources for savvy customers looking to save some cash in the current uncertain economic landscape, experts say.