Motorists pay dearly for green insurance

by Gill Montia

Recent research from price comparison website, moneysupermarket.com, has revealed that motorists who are keen to offset their carbon emission by buying eco-friendly car insurance may end up paying 105% more for cover than with a standard policy.

According to the website, premiums on hybrid cars such as the environmentally-friendly Honda Civic, can vary enormously.

For example, while swiftcover is quoting £342, CIS charges £389 and Green Insurance, which says it will offset 100% of a car’s annual emissions by planting trees, charges £701.

CIS also promises to offset carbon emissions but only by 20%. The insurer achieves this by investing in reforestation and renewable energy sources.

According to moneysupermarket.com, CIS is competitive for car insurance but cover for a Ford Fiesta, for example, can cost 37% more than Express Insurance.

Moneysupermarket’s head of insurance research, Peter Gerrard, advises motorists not to assume that eco-friendly car insurance is a good idea.

He suggests that motorists could consider donating money saved by buying standard cover directly to eco-friendly causes, as an alternative to buying green.



I think its time that we should patronize environment-friendly cars considering the global warming we are experiencing right now. However,green insurance should not be costly. I think it is just logical to directly donating from eco-friendly causes as mentioned by Peter Gerard.