Hourly Car Insurance

1 hour car insurance offers the same coverage options as standard car insurance. These are third party only (TPO), third party, fire, and theft (TPFT), and comprehensive cover. While you need a minimum of third party cover to legally drive on UK public roads, some temporary insurers will offer comprehensive cover as standard. 

Temporary insurance is not just available for one hour. You can also find 2 hour, or 3 hour car insurance, right up to a full 24 hours. It is worth knowing exactly how long you need before buying your policy to avoid over-insuring. 

If you know when you need to borrow or drive the vehicle, you can choose a future start date. However, if you need insurance cover on short notice, temporary policies come with the option for an immediate start. 

This cover allows you to take on short tasks while staying legal and protected on UK roads. You can insure yourself for exactly the number of hours you need, and some insurers will even allow you to extend the cover if needed. If not you can still take out another short term policy. 

The cost of hourly insurance compared to an annual policy, or even being added as a named driver, is night and day. Although you will be paying a higher hourly rate, if you only need insurance for an hour, you could be saving hundreds when compared to annual cover. 

Being able to get insurance that starts immediately can help you or your family out immensely when things don’t go to plan. It’s a great option to have when last-minute plans, appointments, or problems crop up unexpectedly. 

Claiming on a temporary insurance policy will not impact the no-claims bonus (NCD) you hold on your annual car insurance policy. It won’t affect the NCD of anyone else insured on the car either. 

Criteria vary across different 1 hour insurance providers. For example, some will require you to be over 19 years old while others will cover anyone from 17-75 years old. Likewise, some may require you to have a UK licence while others will cover anyone with a licence from the EU. 

These variables are why it is so important to shop around before you buy temporary insurance for 1 hour. When you get a better scope of the market, you can make more informed buying decisions and find a potentially cheaper deal.

Choosing the best hourly insurance options will involve balancing your insurance needs with cost. Once purchased you can keep a digital copy of the insurance certificate with you for reference.