Van insurance coverage premiums are starting to rise once more after a yr of falling costs, signalling a possible turning level out there, in response to the newest Van Insurance coverage Value Index from Shopper Intelligence.
Common quoted premiums fell by 6.0% over the previous 12 months, however elevated by 2.3% within the final quarter, indicating that insurers are beginning to push costs again up.
The common of the 5 least expensive quotes (Rank 1–5) on value comparability web sites stood at £1,674 in February 2026, down from £1,728 a yr earlier, however rising in latest months as market circumstances shift.
Youthful drivers see sharpest value swings
The information reveals a widening hole between age teams, with youthful drivers persevering with to face considerably increased premiums regardless of latest reductions.
Beneath-25s: down 8.1% year-on-year, however up 3.5% within the final three months
Ages 25–49: down 5.2% yearly, up 2.7% quarterly
Over-50s: down 8.1% yearly, broadly flat within the final quarter (+0.1%)
Regardless of these declines, affordability stays a significant problem for youthful drivers, who face common premiums of £3,555, in comparison with £1,512 for drivers aged 25–49 and £1,064 for over-50s.
Insurer pricing shifts and exits reshape the market
The return to cost will increase comes as aggressive dynamics shift throughout the market.
A lot of the prime 10 best suppliers elevated premiums within the final quarter, lowering the provision of the lowest-cost quotes on value comparability web sites.
Zego Sense stays probably the most aggressive supplier regardless of implementing a number of the largest latest value will increase. In the meantime, Acorn Insurance coverage has aggressively lowered premiums by round 25% over the previous yr, rising its market share and changing into the second best supplier.
The aggressive panorama has additionally been impacted by insurer exits. Sterling, beforehand a prime 20 supplier, stopped quoting in the direction of the tip of 2025, whereas Aviva briefly entered the third-party van market earlier than withdrawing inside months.
These actions have had a very sturdy impression on third-party pricing, the place premiums rose by round 5% within the final quarter (TPO +4.9%, TPFT +4.7%), in comparison with a extra modest 1.8% improve for complete cowl.
Work and private use drivers each see costs tick up
Throughout utilization sorts, premiums adopted the same sample of annual decline adopted by latest will increase.
Carriage of Personal Items: down 5.9% yearly, up 2.0% within the final quarter
Social, Home and Pleasure: down 6.3% yearly, up 2.8% not too long ago
This implies a constant shift in pricing route throughout the market, no matter how vans are used.
Early indicators of a pricing rebound
Laura Vas, Senior Perception Analyst at Shopper Intelligence, mentioned:
“After a sustained interval of falling premiums, we are actually seeing clear indicators that pricing is beginning to transfer upwards once more.
“Nearly all of aggressive insurers have elevated costs in latest months, lowering the provision of the most affordable quotes. On the similar time, modifications within the aggressive panorama, together with insurer exits and strategic repricing, are starting to feed by way of into buyer premiums.
“Whereas affordability improved over the previous yr, significantly for higher-risk segments, these newest tendencies counsel that the window of declining costs could also be closing.”
Lengthy-term pressures stay
Regardless of the latest easing, long-term knowledge reveals that van insurance coverage premiums stay considerably increased than a decade in the past, with common costs up 185.5% since 2014.
