60-second summary
Need to know the basics on eco car insurance? Here’s our snapshot:
Eco car insurance comes in two types: insurance designed for eco-friendly cars and car insurance that strives to be more environmentally conscious – for example, through carbon offsetting.
An eco car – or green car – is one that produces less emissions than a petrol or diesel car. That includes electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and biofuel cars.
When looking for eco car insurance, check you’re covered for things like recovery to an EV charging station and protection for your battery and charging devices.
Currently, eco-friendly car insurance tends to be more expensive, but premiums should come down as green cars become more common.
As of April 2025, EV drivers must pay £195 annual road tax and a £425 Expensive Car Supplement for vehicles costing more than £40,000 that are registered after 1 April 2025.
Even if you don’t drive an eco-friendly vehicle, you can still make greener car insurance choices and take action to reduce the environmental impact of your driving.
What is eco car insurance?
Eco car insurance describes two distinct but related types of environmentally-friendly car insurance:
Insurance designed for an electric, hybrid or sustainably fuelled car
With almost 1.5 million fully electric cars on UK roads as of March 2025, more and more of us are choosing eco-friendly vehicles. Sales of fully electric vehicles have increased three-fold since 2021 – and now account for almost 21% of the new car market.
The Government’s planned phase-out of all new fully diesel and petrol cars by 2030 will likely see that number soar. (Some low-volume car makers, such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley, have been exempted from the phase-out.)
Meanwhile, sales of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are predicted to rise by over 18% in 2025. Under the Government’s mandate, sales of new hybrid vehicles will be banned from 2035, making all new cars zero emission.
Many UK insurance providers are now offering cover specifically designed for eco-friendly cars. And, while you don’t have to have specialist green car insurance for a hybrid or electric car, it may offer useful features.
For example, electric car insurance could include recovery to the nearest charging point. It might also cover batteries and charging cables and even damage to public or home charging points.
Insurance cover that strives to be more eco-friendly
Some eco car insurance policies may donate to carbon offsetting projects to help counter the emissions from driving a petrol, diesel or hybrid car.
Others may offer discounts to drivers who reduce their mileage, perhaps by switching some journeys to public transport.
What is an eco-friendly car?
An eco-friendly or green car is one that has lower emissions than a conventional car. Or it may have no emissions at all. Eco cars might use sustainable fuel, be fully electric or a hybrid of electric and regular combustion. Let’s look at the key types of green car:
Hybrid cars
Hybrid cars use a regular (combustion) engine and a battery-powered motor. They have lower emissions because they use both electric and traditional fuel energy sources to run.
Many hybrids are self-charging, but there are also plug-in hybrids with bigger batteries that can be charged in the same way as electric cars.
Popular hybrid car makes include Toyota, Vauxhall and Lexus.
Electric cars
Electric cars run on an electric battery, make almost no noise and need to be plugged in to recharge.
Popular electric car makes include Nissan, Skoda, Renault and Kia.
Biofuel cars
Biofuels are made from plants and waste products, like old cooking oil, or even used coffee grounds.
Cars that run solely on biofuels aren’t widely available yet. But the standard unleaded petrol you’ll find at UK forecourts is blended with biofuel. E5 petrol is blended with 5% biofuel and E10 with 10%. And we now have buses on the road powered by biofuel too.
Hydrogen cars
Hydrogen car engines convert hydrogen into fuel. The only waste product these cars emit is water.
Currently, you can only buy two kinds of hydrogen cars in the UK – the Toyota Mirai and the Hyundai Nexo.
But with the UK government’s hydrogen strategy launched in 2021, we could see more hydrogen-powered vehicles on the road in the future.
LPG cars
Liquid petroleum gas (LPG) burns cleaner than traditional petrol or diesel. By converting your regular petrol car to LPG, you can run it off both fuels.
Only one manufacturer, Dacia, currently sells LPG cars in the UK.
Why should I consider an eco-friendly car?
The transport sector is responsible for 24% of the UK’s total emissions, with road traffic accounting for 91% of that number – 53% from cars and taxis. So, as we all work to reduce our carbon footprint, our choice of car is one area where we can make a big difference.
A new electric car will produce a third of the emissions of a new petrol car over its lifetime. And as the energy grid switches more to renewables, this gap should widen further.
In addition, air pollution in the UK is responsible for up to 36,000 deaths every year. So, it’s important for all of us to look at what we can do to help reduce the pollution from our cars.
What cover should I look for when insuring a green car?
The cover you choose for your eco-friendly car depends on your specific situation and needs. Many UK insurance providers now offer cover for hybrid and electric vehicles as standard. But policies vary in terms of the cover and extras they provide.
Here are a few things to consider when choosing an eco car insurance policy for your electric vehicle:
Running out of battery: make sure you’re covered for recovery in case you run out of charge on your journey
Protection for your charging devices: look for policies that include cover for the charging unit and cables you need for your electric car
Battery cover: electric batteries often come with a warranty from the car manufacturer. But you’ll still want to make sure it’s covered for accidental damage, theft and fire by your electric vehicle insurance policy.
Is eco car insurance cheaper?
It depends on the policy you choose, your car and your driving history. Though premiums are falling, as things stand, car insurance for electric and hybrid vehicles is generally more expensive than for petrol or diesel cars.
This is because EVs are still relatively new to the market, are typically more expensive, and the cost of parts and repairs tends to be higher.
But policy costs vary between insurance providers. Some may charge extra to insure a hybrid or electric vehicle, while others may offer discounts for cleaner energy vehicles. So, it’s worth shopping around and comparing quotes for eco car insurance.
It’s also worth thinking about performance when you’re weighing up which new eco car to buy. Insurance providers will take your car’s insurance group into consideration when giving you a quote. A less powerful eco car may cost less to insure because it’s considered safer.
Do also bear in mind that there are many other factors determining how car insurance premiums are calculated. These include your age, annual mileage, postcode and driving history.
How much road tax will I have to pay for my electric car?
From April 2025, drivers of most electric vehicles pay road tax of £195. And for new electric cars costing more than £40,000 that are registered after 1 April 2025, you’ll also need to pay an Expensive Car Supplement along with your car tax. This will cost you an additional £425 a year.
How can I find eco-friendly car insurance for my regular car?
If you’re not ready to make the switch to a greener car, you can still choose a more environmentally-friendly car insurance policy. Here are some ways:
Choose cover that rewards efficient driving
You could think about telematics insurance, also known as black box insurance. Using a black box or smart phone app to record how and when you drive could result in greater fuel efficiency. This, in turn, could mean savings from your insurance provider.
Choose a low-mileage car insurance policy
As well as improving your carbon footprint, cutting down on your annual mileage could save you money on your insurance premiums.
That’s because less time on the road means less chance of an accident. A lower-mileage policy could be cheaper, too.
Choose a green insurance provider
Some providers offer green car insurance policies that commit to funding conservation and sustainability projects to offset some of your driving emissions.
Other green car insurance providers may use repairers that source recycled car parts – called ‘green’ car parts – for certain non-safety-critical repairs. And most insurance providers now offer paperless policies.
Greener driving is about making better, more informed choices. And that’s where we come in. We’re here to help you find the a great deal on your eco car insurance by comparing a range of policies from some of the UK’s most trusted insurance providers.
How can I help the environment if I drive a regular car?
As well as switching to a greener car insurance policy, there are changes you can make to your everyday driving that could help lower your emissions and your impact. That’s true even if you still drive a petrol or diesel car.
Here are some handy tips that will not only help the environment but could also potentially save you money.
Remember that bigger isn’t better when it comes to driving green
The bigger the car, the higher the emissions and fuel costs. So, think about whether you really need that seven-seater, especially if you usually drive alone.
Share journeys to reduce emissions and save money
Can you carpool on your commute or school drop? If you can, you’ll share fuel costs while reducing your carbon footprint.
Lighten your load
Reducing the weight of your car means you’ll use less fuel. But you don’t have to lose passengers or your spare wheel. Try:
Clearing out the boot and back seats
Half-filling your fuel tank if you’re only making short journeys
Losing the roof rack if you’re not using it.
Avoid unnecessary journeys
Are there any car journeys you make that aren’t really necessary? Could you walk or cycle down to the shops to get the milk rather than drive, or use public transport to go see your nan instead?
Even small changes can make a difference to the environment. And a lower annual mileage could mean cheaper car insurance too.
Consider what car you really need
A four-wheel drive car uses slightly more fuel than a two-wheel drive, even if it’s the same style and size. So, think about whether you really need a 4x4 if the only off-roading you do is parking on a raised kerb.
Anticipate road conditions
Driving smoothly will mean you’re breaking less harshly and using less fuel. Read the road, and avoid sharp acceleration and heavy breaking.
Check your tyres regularly
Under-inflated tyres are dangerous and can increase your fuel consumption.
Looking for a car insurance quote?
If you’re buying a new car, don’t forget to insure it. Compare car insurance quotes with us today and see if you could start saving.
FAQs
What is carbon offsetting in green car insurance?
Carbon offsetting is when an insurance provider balances out some or all the emissions produced from your car by investing in projects that help to decrease carbon emissions.
For example, they may plant trees to remove carbon dioxide from the air or fund lower-carbon infrastructure in developing countries.
Are there any government grants available for switching to an eco-friendly car?
In 2022, the UK government announced that cars would no longer be covered under the plug-in grant scheme for zero-emission vehicles. But the scheme is still available for eligible wheelchair-accessible vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds, vans, trucks and taxis.
You can get a grant of up to £350 to install an electric vehicle charging unit at your home, but only if you’re a landlord or rent a flat or apartment.
In recent years, there have been a range of public scrappage schemes offering financial incentives to encourage drivers to trade in older, higher-polluting cars for more environmentally-friendly models. But there is no national scheme, and those in London and Scotland have now closed.
Birmingham’s is currently the only local government car scrappage scheme still in operation, though Bristol City Council offers subsidised loans and grants to eligible drivers to help them switch to vehicles meeting the emission standards of the Bristol CAZ (Clean Air Zone). At the time of writing, no car manufacturers offer car scrappage schemes in the UK.
How easy it is to charge electric vehicles in the UK?
At the end of March 2025, there were 76,840 electric vehicle charging units available to the public in the UK, in 38,737 locations.
The availability of charging units varies depending on where you live. But the number of charging points has increased every year from 2021. The UK government has launched a grant scheme to encourage local councils to install more and increase the size of the network.
Do green vehicles have to pay the London Congestion Charge?
Zero-emissions cars, including fully electric and hydrogen powered cars, are eligible for a 100% discount on the London Congestion Charge until 25 December 2025.
To get the discount, motorists must register with Transport for London (TFL), upload a copy of their V5C registration certification as proof, and pay an annual fee of £10.
Julie is passionate about delivering a great customer experience and rewarding people for saving on their insurance through our loyalty and rewards programme. She’s spoken to the media, including outlets like Sky News, about car and home insurance, as well as our Meerkat rewards scheme.
As an award-winning journalist, author and broadcast commentator, Kate has been writing about personal finance for more than 20 years. She’s the former Money Editor for The Independent.
Our content is written by a Compare the Market expert, backed by data and enhanced by AI. Find out how we ensure accuracy and quality in our Editorial Guidelines.
