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Apricot Insurance car insurance review
We've reviewed the car insurance on offer through Apricot Insurance, which specialises in covering young drivers.
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Apricot Insurance claims to source the best deals for a tight budget. Here’s what you need to know.
Who is Apricot Insurance?
Apricot Insurance is a broker that works with a panel of insurers to offer car, van, home and landlord insurance, amongst others.
Apricot Insurance previously operated under the name Byrne Insurance, which was established in 1979. The broker changed its trading name to Apricot Insurance in 2011.
Although privately owned, Apricot Insurance Services Ltd does have ownership connections with Seopa Ltd, which operates Quotezone.co.uk and ComareNI.com.
It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
What are Apricot’s levels of cover?
Apricot Insurance’s Third party cover
Third party cover is the minimum level of cover that is offered by Apricot Insurance. All drivers in the UK are legally required to have at least this level of car insurance to be on the road. If you are responsible for causing an accident, you’ll be protected for damage to third party vehicles or property. Though it won’t cover any damage to your own car. Don’t assume this is the cheapest because it offers the least protection. Check each cover level to see which offers the best value.
Apricot Insurance’s Third party, fire and theft cover
You’ll get the same level of cover as third party but this will also provide protection against any fire damage or theft of your car.
Apricot Insurance’s Comprehensive cover
This is the highest level of cover on offer and will give the same protection as the other levels as well as insuring your vehicle against accidental damage and vandalism. It’s always worth getting a quote for comprehensive as in some cases, it can be cheaper than lower levels of cover due to the risk profile of customers who choose them.
What is covered under my Apricot Insurance policy?
| Cover benefits | Third party | Third party, fire and theft | Comprehensive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liability to other people | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fire and theft | – | ✓ | ✓ |
| Accidental damage | – | – | ✓ |
| Courtesy car | – | – | ✓ |
| Windscreen cover | – | – | ✓ |
| 30-day European cover | – | – | ✓ |
Check your policy details carefully to ensure you have the right cover for your needs.
Optional extras
Apricot Insurance does offer some optional extras to provide you with more protection in certain areas. These optional extras include:
- Breakdown cover
- Legal expenses
- Key cover
- Excess protection
General exclusions
Any cover arranged through Apricot Insurance is likely to become invalid if any of the following arises:
- You are paid to carry passengers.
- You fail to pay for your premium.
- Your car is being driven by an unnamed driver on your policy or by a person that does not have a valid driving licence.
- Your car is used for rallies, races or competitions.
- You change your car during the policy term to a car that the insurer cannot cover.
- You do not provide the correct documents to support your application.
Check your policy for further details to confirm your cover is valid.
How to save on your car insurance policy through Apricot Insurance
- Check comprehensive. Contrary to what you might expect, comprehensive cover can be cheaper than third party (TP) or third party, fire and theft so it’s always worth checking. This is because of the risk profile of many people who get TP.
- Park securely. Cars kept in a garage or on a secure driveway are usually cheaper to insure.
- Reduce mileage. If you start working part-time or your long commute becomes much shorter, letting your insurer know about a reduction in your mileage could result in cheaper insurance.
- Increase the excess. Agreeing to pay a bigger voluntary excess could make your overall premium cheaper. But remember that your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than your excess. So be careful about making it too high, as it could leave you out of pocket if damage occurs.
- Pick a smaller car. Choosing to drive a small and safe car is likely to lower your premium
What is my excess?
Your insurance excess is the amount of money you have to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount. A compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.
A voluntary excess is normally an amount set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess, which should in turn reduce your premium.
You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.
What is the claims process for Apricot Insurance?
There is no central claims line for Apricot Insurance. Instead, you will need to check your policy document and call the claims line listed there. This is likely to be associated with the insurance provider of your policy.
You’ll need to have your policy details and all the facts about the incident in order to make a claim.
It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.
Frequently asked questions
*Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (Mar ’24). 51% of car insurance customers could save £524.68
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