Third-Party Fire And Theft Car Insurance
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Low cost third-party fire and theft car insurance
Third-party, fire and theft car insurance cover is a cut above standard third-party insurance but is still a long way off from being fully comprehensive. It provides what is legally required to drive on UK roads and some extra protection for your car should it be stolen or damaged by fire. It does not protect your car in the event of a crash or even insure you as the driver.
Still, there are plenty of drivers, both new and experienced, who feel that third-party, fire and theft is the right level of cover for them. Utility Saving Expert can help you find the best third-party, fire and theft cover for your vehicle using our onsite comparison tool.
What is third-party fire and theft insurance?
This level of insurance policy is self-explanatory. First and foremost, it provides you with third-party cover, meaning that if you’re involved in an accident, your insurance company will cover the cost of damages caused to another person’s car or property, and will also payout for injuries sustained by them.
Fire
Secondly, this insurance type will cover you in the event of fire damage to your vehicle. The accepted circumstances surrounding the damage vary, but insurance companies generally pay out for fire damage as a result of an accident, an explosion, or arson.
If your car has been damaged due to arson, you’ll need to report the crime to the police first. The police will then give you a crime number, which the insurance company can use to determine whether or not to provide compensation.
This payout could either be used to cover the cost of repairing the vehicle or totally replacing it following fire damage.
Theft
Thirdly, this insurance type will cover the cost of a replacement vehicle if your car gets stolen. Alternatively, if your car gets damaged as a result of attempted theft, then a third-party, fire and theft policy should cover the cost of repairing damages caused.
Do I need third-party, fire and theft insurance?
You don’t need third-party, fire and theft insurance, as the only insurance type you’re legally required to have is third-party. However, although you don’t strictly need it, it could be the insurance level that’s right for you.
If you’re in the habit of repairing your vehicle yourself, or if you only drive your car on occasion, then it could be worth getting this mid-tier insurance policy. However, we’d always recommend getting fully comprehensive car insurance to safeguard you against all eventualities on the road.
What does third party, fire and theft insurance cover?
Third-party, fire and theft car insurance covers:
- Compensation to a third party’s car
- Compensation to a third party’s property
- Compensation for injuries sustained by another driver or their passenger(s)
- Stolen car replacement
- Attempted theft repairs
- Fire damage car replacement
- Fire damage repairs
What does third party, fire and theft insurance not cover?
Third-party, fire and theft car insurance does not cover:
- Personal injury compensation
- Personal injury claims made by the passenger(s) of your vehicle
- Compensation for damages to your own vehicle in an accident
- Incidents of theft that were caused by your negligence (i.e., you left the car doors open or the window down)
Additional coverage for third party, fire and theft
Although TPFT does insure you against more than standard third-party car insurance, it is very limited relative to the likes of fully comprehensive cover. That’s why we recommend checking out what add-ons insurance providers offer to see if you can gain more comprehensive cover.
Common add-ons for TPFT include:
No-claims bonus protection
Building up your no-claims discount could lead to a massive car insurance discount in the future. However, with so many risks involved in driving, you never know when you might need to make a claim. No-claims bonus protection allows you to keep your no-claims record intact, even if you have to make an insurance claim.
Personal accident cover
One of the biggest limitations of TPFT is that it provides no injury protection for yourself. With a personal accident cover add-on, you’ll be able to claim compensation for injuries sustained in an accident.
Breakdown cover
Should you find yourself stranded roadside, breakdown cover will provide you with roadside assistance and repairs.
How much does third party, fire and theft insurance cost?
Given that TPFT car insurance is the middle level of insurance available, you’d think it would logically be more expensive than standard third-party car insurance but more affordable than fully comprehensive insurance. However, this is not always the case.
Although you may be able to find TPFT for a mid-range price on Utility Saving Expert, you’ll also find the policy type priced higher than comprehensive cover. This is because high-risk drivers often go for the lowest amount of cover, while sensible drivers generally take out the maximum amount of cover.
Given that high-risk drivers make the highest number of claims, those on third-party policies tend to cost car insurance providers more than those on comprehensive cover. For that reason, a lot of third-party policies now cost more than comprehensive.
How to reduce the cost of your third party, fire and theft car insurance
Despite this price hike, there are several methods you could employ to keep the cost of your TPFT insurance low, such as:
Don’t modify your car
Remember that a big part of this car insurance policy is theft, so the insurance providers will be judging the appearance of your car. If you’ve made a lot of modifications to your car, it could be more attractive to thieves. We’d recommend leaving your car as it is to get cheaper theft car insurance.
Only drive when you need to
The higher your mileage, the more a car insurance company will charge for your premium. If you can prove that you only drive when you need to, you could get cheaper car insurance.
Pay annually
As with any car insurance type, fire and theft cover can be made more affordable when you offer to pay annually. When paying monthly, you’ll have to pay additional fees.
Compare third party, fire and theft car insurance quotes
The best way to save money on your TPFT insurance would be to compare providers on Utility Saving Expert. If you’ve searched around for insurance but are unsure which provider is offering you the best premium price, then use our price comparison tool to narrow down your options.
*51% of consumers could save £319.03 on their Car Insurance. The saving was calculated by comparing the cheapest price found with the average of the next five cheapest prices quoted by insurance providers on Seopa Ltd’s insurance comparison website. This is based on representative cost savings from March 2022 data. The savings you could achieve are dependent on your individual circumstances and how you selected your current insurance supplier.
You can build up a no-claims discount on any type of car insurance, including third-party fire and theft. You could even take out no-claims bonus protection to protect your no-claims record, even if you have to make a claim.
Third-party, theft and fire insurance is a lot more limited than fully comprehensive cover. The former doesn’t protect you from personal injuries sustained, while the latter does. Fully comprehensive also protects your vehicle in the event of a car accident.
Most insurance policies are designed to be used exclusively for driving in your own car. If you wish to drive someone else’s car or permit someone else to drive your car, you’ll need to add or be added as a ‘named driver’, or take out temporary third-party cover.
This depends entirely on your individual insurance policy, however, a number of those featured on Utility Saving Expert do permit TPFT insurance to be used abroad in your own vehicle.
