Will an immobiliser reduce my car insurance premiums?<\/h3><\/div>![\"Danny](\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/07\/Danny-Butler.jpg\")
<\/p>
Finder insurance expert Danny Butler<\/a> answers <\/em><\/div><\/div>Car insurers are a fan of anything that will reduce the risk of you having to make a claim and therefore costing them money. Immobilisers are one of a number of security measures that can reduce the risk of your car being stolen. As such, a car with an immobiliser installed is likely to cost less to insure than an otherwise identical car without an immobiliser.<\/p>
If you have a modern car, insurers will usually assume when they give a quote that your car has a factory-installed immobiliser. You\u2019ll need to actively correct this assumption if, for whatever reason, the immobiliser has been removed. And you\u2019ll need to actively tell them if you\u2019ve added extra security to a car.<\/p>
Insurers strongly favour Thatcham approved immobilisers, so if you\u2019re adding an electronic immobiliser to an older car, always opt for a Thatcham approved Category 1 or 2 device.<\/p>
Ghost immobilisers are a bit of a grey area. They\u2019re a fairly new innovation, and many don\u2019t align with Thatcham\u2019s rating categories. This means most cannot yet be \u201cThatcham approved\u201d. As a result, having a ghost immobiliser fitted might or might not make a difference to your car insurance premiums. This may change over time. But for now, if you\u2019re considering having a ghost alarm fitted, it\u2019s worth checking if there are any models that insurers are more likely to recognise.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
Do I need an alarm as well as an immobiliser?<\/h3>
Unlike immobilisers, it is not mandatory for car manufacturers to fit alarms into new cars. Many will now install an alarm voluntarily as a selling point, but there\u2019s no guarantee your car will have an alarm, especially if it\u2019s an older model.<\/p>
Thatcham (and therefore most insurers, too) regards a combination of an alarm and immobiliser as the top level (Category 1) of car security. So if you want to maximise your car\u2019s security, and the potential savings you can make on your insurance, it\u2019s a good idea to have both an alarm and an immobiliser. You can buy bundled devices or, if your car has an immobiliser but not an alarm, it\u2019s fairly straightforward to get one added. Make sure the alarm you choose is Thatcham approved, as it\u2019s likely to make a difference to your car insurance provider.<\/p>
How else can I cut the cost of car insurance?<\/h3>
The security measures installed in your car are only one of many factors that affects your car insurance premiums. Here are some other tactics to keep costs down.<\/p>
- Compare insurers annually<\/strong>. You might find a much better deal. Even if you\u2019re keen to stay with your current insurer, you can use comparison quotes to negotiate a better deal. Shopping around<\/a> is particularly important if you\u2019ve been through any big life changes such as getting married or moving house.<\/li>
- Avoid non-essential modifications<\/strong>. While added security is likely to reduce your premiums, most other modifications will do the opposite. So if you care about insurance costs, forego fancy paintwork or massive spoilers.<\/li>
- Pay annually rather than monthly if you can<\/strong>. Insurers apply interest if you pay in monthly instalments, so you\u2019ll usually end up paying less if you\u2019re able to pay in full up-front.<\/li>
- Increase your voluntary excess<\/strong>. Your excess<\/a> is the amount you need to pay towards any claim. Typically, the higher you set the excess, the lower your insurance premium will be. Just don\u2019t set it so high you can\u2019t afford to pay it if you need to claim.<\/li>
- Add an experienced driver<\/strong>. Adding a lower-risk, experienced named driver<\/a> to your policy could lower your premiums, particularly if you\u2019re a young and inexperienced driver.<\/li>
- Drive carefully and avoid the risk of claiming<\/strong>. Every year that you drive safely and avoid needing to claim will increase the no-claims discount<\/a> on the following year\u2019s premiums.<\/li>
- Consider telematics insurance<\/strong>. This uses a small device \u2013 a \u201cblack box<\/a>\u201d \u2013 installed in your car to track your driving habits. If you drive carefully and responsibly, you should see your premiums drop.<\/li><\/ul>
Pros and cons of having an immobiliser<\/h3>\n \n Pros<\/h4>\n \n - Modern cars almost always have one factory-fitted, so there's no effort required to get one<\/li>\n
- There's strong evidence that an immobiliser will cut the risk of your car being stolen<\/li>\n
- Having an immobiliser, especially a Thatcham approved one, should reduce your insurance premiums.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
Cons<\/h4>\n \n - If your car was made before 1998, you may need to pay to get an immobiliser installed<\/li>\n
- An immobiliser isn't a fail-safe guarantee against a smart and determined thief<\/li>\n
- Ghost immobilisers are so new that they're not yet widely recognised by car insurers.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Immobilisers are an important car security feature. They reduce the risk of your car being stolen and, therefore, also reduce your car insurance premiums. Most people don\u2019t need to weigh up whether or not to get an immobiliser installed in their car, as it\u2019s been compulsory for manufacturers to include them since 1998. If you have an older car, it\u2019s pretty straightforward to get one added. Make sure you get a Thatcham approved one, as they\u2019re more widely recognised by insurers.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>- \n \n
\n
<\/p>
Car insurers are a fan of anything that will reduce the risk of you having to make a claim and therefore costing them money. Immobilisers are one of a number of security measures that can reduce the risk of your car being stolen. As such, a car with an immobiliser installed is likely to cost less to insure than an otherwise identical car without an immobiliser.<\/p>
If you have a modern car, insurers will usually assume when they give a quote that your car has a factory-installed immobiliser. You\u2019ll need to actively correct this assumption if, for whatever reason, the immobiliser has been removed. And you\u2019ll need to actively tell them if you\u2019ve added extra security to a car.<\/p>
Insurers strongly favour Thatcham approved immobilisers, so if you\u2019re adding an electronic immobiliser to an older car, always opt for a Thatcham approved Category 1 or 2 device.<\/p>
Ghost immobilisers are a bit of a grey area. They\u2019re a fairly new innovation, and many don\u2019t align with Thatcham\u2019s rating categories. This means most cannot yet be \u201cThatcham approved\u201d. As a result, having a ghost immobiliser fitted might or might not make a difference to your car insurance premiums. This may change over time. But for now, if you\u2019re considering having a ghost alarm fitted, it\u2019s worth checking if there are any models that insurers are more likely to recognise.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
Do I need an alarm as well as an immobiliser?<\/h3>
Unlike immobilisers, it is not mandatory for car manufacturers to fit alarms into new cars. Many will now install an alarm voluntarily as a selling point, but there\u2019s no guarantee your car will have an alarm, especially if it\u2019s an older model.<\/p>
Thatcham (and therefore most insurers, too) regards a combination of an alarm and immobiliser as the top level (Category 1) of car security. So if you want to maximise your car\u2019s security, and the potential savings you can make on your insurance, it\u2019s a good idea to have both an alarm and an immobiliser. You can buy bundled devices or, if your car has an immobiliser but not an alarm, it\u2019s fairly straightforward to get one added. Make sure the alarm you choose is Thatcham approved, as it\u2019s likely to make a difference to your car insurance provider.<\/p>
How else can I cut the cost of car insurance?<\/h3>
The security measures installed in your car are only one of many factors that affects your car insurance premiums. Here are some other tactics to keep costs down.<\/p>
- Compare insurers annually<\/strong>. You might find a much better deal. Even if you\u2019re keen to stay with your current insurer, you can use comparison quotes to negotiate a better deal. Shopping around<\/a> is particularly important if you\u2019ve been through any big life changes such as getting married or moving house.<\/li>
- Avoid non-essential modifications<\/strong>. While added security is likely to reduce your premiums, most other modifications will do the opposite. So if you care about insurance costs, forego fancy paintwork or massive spoilers.<\/li>
- Pay annually rather than monthly if you can<\/strong>. Insurers apply interest if you pay in monthly instalments, so you\u2019ll usually end up paying less if you\u2019re able to pay in full up-front.<\/li>
- Increase your voluntary excess<\/strong>. Your excess<\/a> is the amount you need to pay towards any claim. Typically, the higher you set the excess, the lower your insurance premium will be. Just don\u2019t set it so high you can\u2019t afford to pay it if you need to claim.<\/li>
- Add an experienced driver<\/strong>. Adding a lower-risk, experienced named driver<\/a> to your policy could lower your premiums, particularly if you\u2019re a young and inexperienced driver.<\/li>
- Drive carefully and avoid the risk of claiming<\/strong>. Every year that you drive safely and avoid needing to claim will increase the no-claims discount<\/a> on the following year\u2019s premiums.<\/li>
- Consider telematics insurance<\/strong>. This uses a small device \u2013 a \u201cblack box<\/a>\u201d \u2013 installed in your car to track your driving habits. If you drive carefully and responsibly, you should see your premiums drop.<\/li><\/ul>
Pros and cons of having an immobiliser<\/h3>
\n\nPros<\/h4>\n
- \n
- Modern cars almost always have one factory-fitted, so there's no effort required to get one<\/li>\n
- There's strong evidence that an immobiliser will cut the risk of your car being stolen<\/li>\n
- Having an immobiliser, especially a Thatcham approved one, should reduce your insurance premiums.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n \n \n
Cons<\/h4>\n
- \n
- If your car was made before 1998, you may need to pay to get an immobiliser installed<\/li>\n
- An immobiliser isn't a fail-safe guarantee against a smart and determined thief<\/li>\n
- Ghost immobilisers are so new that they're not yet widely recognised by car insurers.<\/li>\n <\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n
Bottom line<\/h3>
Immobilisers are an important car security feature. They reduce the risk of your car being stolen and, therefore, also reduce your car insurance premiums. Most people don\u2019t need to weigh up whether or not to get an immobiliser installed in their car, as it\u2019s been compulsory for manufacturers to include them since 1998. If you have an older car, it\u2019s pretty straightforward to get one added. Make sure you get a Thatcham approved one, as they\u2019re more widely recognised by insurers.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>
- \n \n
\n
- \n
- Avoid non-essential modifications<\/strong>. While added security is likely to reduce your premiums, most other modifications will do the opposite. So if you care about insurance costs, forego fancy paintwork or massive spoilers.<\/li>