Insurance Companies that Insure LPG-converted Vehicles

[Active_Lad]

As my current Insurance is up for renewal shortly, I've been researching around for companies that will insure an LPG-converted vehicle. It seems that most of them classify an LPG conversion as a modification and immediately refuse to cover "modified" vehicles. I'm presuming they classify an LPGA-approved conversion in the same group as a boy-racer with his stainless steel exhaust

I thought it might be useful to compile a list of companies that *do* cover LPG vehicles. I have been using the Insurance Comparison Sites (and not all even allow you to specify LPG as a fuel, so they are no use) and so far have been able to identify the following that will provide a quote:

iBuyEco
Budget
Dial Direct
HSBC Insurance
Autotrader
Post Office
Yes Insurance
RAC
Performance Direct
Bradford and Bingley
Bell
elephant.co.uk
Admiral
Lancaster Insurance
Marks & Spencer
Quinn Direct

If you know of any others that should be added to the list please mention them in your reply.

N.B. Most insurers seem to allow an LPG Conversion for an existing policyholder. This query relates to new business (or changing insurers).

[SimonHobson]

If you know of any others that should be added to the list please mention them in your reply.

NFU Mutual

N.B. Most insurers seem to allow an LPG Conversion for an existing policyholder. This query relates to new business (or changing insurers).

Not sure about NFU & new customers as I was an existing member - but I think they will.

[jalfrezigazee]

not had any issues with insuring my 2 cars on gas. One is with Directline and has 8 other mods (+95bhp) which they charge a small amount for and the other is with Prudential and has about 8 mods too (+25bhp). Neithe rof these companies are any hastkle to deal with. The wway to do it is to do an online quote for a standard car then call them afterwards to check about mods. Most companies these days are great about mods and don't want to see the cert unless you make a claim

[sorcerer]

My existing insurer is MoreThan and I was about halfway through my policy year when I converted to LPG, so it doesn't actually fulfill your criteria of a "new" insure but, I thought that I'd just let others know that there was no hassle whatsoever and even a nice surprise - a 10% discount of the annual premium

[CougarV6]

Adrian Flux for me, but then again i am an older boy racer
The cougar's been lowered, stripes (big ones), spoiler, towbar, intake mods, s/s exhaust, uprated alarm, LPG, still good fun tho

[D5SPM]

Swiftcover.com

[Gilbertd]

Having more than one car and often buying another if it looks interesting and the price is right, my insurance has been a nightmare for years. For the last 3 years I have owned a Group 20 car (1991 Maserati BiTurbo Spider) and was paying over £800 a year for it. If I bought something else I would insure it as a temporary additional vehicle for a while until I decided if I intended keeping it or not. A couple of years ago, my insurers (Norwich Union) decided that as I kept adding the odd additional vehicle (2 in 14 months), I was a trader and refused to give me cover on a car I was due to collect from France and drive back to the UK unless I cancelled the cover on the Maserati.

As they insisted I was a trader, I decided to see if I could get a trade policy. The first few companies I spoke to all insisted I wasn't a trader as I didn't have premises, had a full time job, didn't have a continuous turnover of vehicles, etc, I was simply someone that liked cars. Then I found a company call PitStop Insurance who agreed with Norwich Union that I was a trader. I now have a policy through them underwritten by Royal Sun Alliance that costs me £450 a year and gives me fully comp cover for as many vehicles as I like, in whatever state of tune and with as many modifications as I like. Criteria is that no one vehicle is worth more than £10,000 and all vehicles are either owned by me or in my custody. As for modifications, the only thing I have to do is give them the registration numbers of any cars that I expect to have for more than 14 days so it can be added to the MID to stop me getting flagged by ANPR checks. They do not need any details of the cars other than that. I currently have the Maserati and gassed up Saab 900 on the policy but have had a number of other vehicles on it and there has never been any queries on any of them.

It has also proved to be highly useful too. One example was when my daughter bought herself a new car that needed a little work that good old dad could sort out for her. It meant I could add it to my policy so I had fully comp cover on it until such time as the work was all done, it had an MoT and I was even able to tax it online for her until she sold her old car and transferred the insurance.

[disco39v8]

IAM Surety

They do, however, require a copy of the inspection certificate

[Clifford Pope]

Privilege. No certificate needed, just phone confirmation that it had been done by an approved installer.

[corbcol13]

also Zurich no cert needed (thats who Im with)

[junkcatcher]

LV -- Liverpool Victoria --- no extra charge and no paper work required -- all done on line. ---- and give very good quotes.

[MrGrumpyman]

I'm with Direct Line. I've informed them of my new conversion by LPGA installer, they just took details over the phone, no need to send in certificate and no extra cost added.

Bob on!

[billynoband]

As I learned from experience, don't believe what the kid's on the other end of the phone tell you regards needing a lpga certificate. I would advise anyone changing to lpg just to send a copy of your certificate to your insurer so they can add it to your file incase the voice on the phone get's it wrong because they cannot get it right all the time.

[MEP]

As I learned from experience, don't believe what the kid's on the other end of the phone tell you regards needing a lpga certificate. I would advise anyone changing to lpg just to send a copy of your certificate to your insurer so they can add it to your file incase the voice on the phone get's it wrong because they cannot get it right all the time.

Surly you can just send it in if they request at a later date though

[Active_Lad]

Certainly the RAC told me that they didn't need to see the certificate except in the event of a claim.

[SimonHobson]

Certainly the RAC told me that they didn't need to see the certificate except in the event of a claim.

The risk there of course is that you get told over the phone that <x> is acceptable, but then after you make a claim, they turn round and tell you that <x> isn't sufficient and therefore you're not insured. It might even be that originally <x> was acceptable, but they've since changed their minds and not told anyone - and of course, you cannot prove that you were told (verbally) that they said <x> was OK.

I would not trust ANY arrangement that did not get confirmation from your insurers that they'd a) received whatever they've agreed is acceptable, and b) that it is acceptable (even if that's implied by them not saying otherwise).

Don't give them wiggle room. If you give them any room to wiggle, they are likely to use it - and if they state that you've been uninsured then a whole pile of smelly stuff descends on you. Guy next to me at work, his father cancelled one car off a (multi car) policy and the insurance company got it wrong (took the wrong one off on the computer). Some time later, his sister was stopped (ANPR checks) and arrested for driving without insurance, and when father turned up with certificate the copper told him to take it away because if he offered it again he'd have to arrest him for perverting the course of justice by presenting a forged insurance certificate. These days if the computer says no, then no amount of proof will persuade the authorities otherwise. Even though the insurance company coughed to the mistake, it took a couple of years to clean up the mess and get both their criminal records cleaned. If you get that much mess when the insurance admits to a mistake, what about when they want to avoid paying out on a claim ?


In terms of sending notifications, I'm with NFU and pass their local office daily - so I can drop it in personally and address the letters (of which I keep copies) as "by hand". OK, they can argue that I'm lying, but they can't argue it must have been lost in the post. The alternative is always use recorded delivery and get proof of delivery (can be done free on the web now).

[Active_Lad]

I would not trust ANY arrangement that did not get confirmation from your insurers that they'd a) received whatever they've agreed is acceptable, and b) that it is acceptable (even if that's implied by them not saying otherwise).

But when you have an insurance schedule that says "Fuel Type = LPG", then that is acceptance by the insurer of the information that you have provided is correct (as they will always ask you to confirm the information is correct). Insurance is covered by normal laws of contract after all.

What your friend appears not to have done was get written confirmation of the change to his policy, which would have highlighted the error.

You should also always make a record of the time and date of your call and the name of the person you spoke to so that in the event of an issue, the insurer can check their records and you can be proven right. Not easy nor straightforward, but it is your protection. Alternatively, as you suggest, you follow up any verbal instruction with written confirmation.

[MrGrumpyman]

I would not trust ANY arrangement that did not get confirmation from your insurers that they'd a) received whatever they've agreed is acceptable, and b) that it is acceptable (even if that's implied by them not saying otherwise).

But when you have an insurance schedule that says "Fuel Type = LPG"

Yes, Direct-line said they would be sending me a new insurance cert because of the change to my policy, if this says LPG on it, then like you say I would take it that is written confirmation of their acceptance of the change.

[Gilbertd]

Because I own three cars and often have others floating about, insurance was costing me a fortune. I had one covered on a normal policy and the other two on restricted mileage, Classic Car policies. If I needed to use another car I would either rely on the 3rd party only, driving other vehicles clause on the everyday policy or add it as a temporary additional vehicle. This was with Norwich Union but when they transferred me to Norwich Union Direct they got shirty about it and refused to give me cover on a car I was due to collect from France. They claimed that if I had all these cars, I must be a trader. Working on that principle, I searched around for a trade policy.

Most companies didn't want to know as I had no premises and wasn't a registered company. Some would accept me but wanted telephone number premiums. I eventually found a company that would accept me. Pitstop Motor Trade give me fully comp cover on any number of vehicles up to a maximum value of £7,500 each vehicle (chosen by me as the value of the most expensive car) that are either owned by me or in my custody and care. All I have to do is give them the details of all vehicles and they send me a schedule of what is covered. These are added to the MID so flag as insured if I go through any ANPR checks (I can even tax online). The insurance is underwritten by Royal Sun Alliance and the premium is just under £500 a year. The cover is for social, domestic, pleasure and motor trade purposes and has all the usual protected no claims, windscreen cover, etc that you would get with any other policy. They had no problem at all with the fact that one of the cars runs on LPG.

So far the only slight downside I have found is that the cover is for me only. If I wanted to add an additional driver the premium would almost double and they won't allow any drivers under 25.

[MrGrumpyman]

I would not trust ANY arrangement that did not get confirmation from your insurers that they'd a) received whatever they've agreed is acceptable, and b) that it is acceptable (even if that's implied by them not saying otherwise).

But when you have an insurance schedule that says "Fuel Type = LPG"

Yes, Direct-line said they would be sending me a new insurance cert because of the change to my policy, if this says LPG on it, then like you say I would take it that is written confirmation of their acceptance of the change.

New policy and cert arrived today and state under Modifications - "LPG system fitted by LPGA installer" I will send a copy LPGA cert tho' just to be sure.