Save up to £500* on car insurance renewal using black box telematics

By David Gaylard
Last updated 20th May 2024

What is black box insurance?

Black box insurance uses telematics (the black box) fitted to your vehicle by the insurance company to measure vehicle speed, cornering forces, driving habits and the time in the day that you drive most frequently.

That way the insurance company can gather information on you driving to determine whether you are a low or high risk driver. Low risk drivers will normally get a cheaper premium next time they renew and high risk drivers will probably get lots of reminders about their poor driving habits!

You will get a score every week or month for your driving, the higher the score the better your driving, low scoring will eventually attract the attention of the insurer. Rewarding good and safe driving is the key to this kind of policy.

Cheap black box insurance

Does black box insurance make my premium cheaper?

Black box insurance in theory can help drive down the price of your insurance premium but other factors depend on that too, such as the cost to fix your vehicle in your area, crime rate, population density and your age. 

A lot of young drivers are attracted to cheaper black box insurance because the initial quote they receive tends to cost less than “no black box” cover that may seem out of reach. Insurance companies like it because they feel it helps temper young drivers' desire to go fast, be reckless and drive around in the middle of the night!

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How much does insurance cost with telematics or Black Box Insurance?

We run a quote for a 22 year old driver who passed their test two years ago insuring a VW UP! 1.0l 2014 with a value of £2,000. The cheapest quote we found was £872.73 per year and £80.73 per month. This quote is with no previous telematics data so there is a possibility to get a quote for less the next time they renew car insurance with black box telematics.

To find out for yourself get a quote with Quotezone to see what the brokers are offering. The best way for a young person with little experience to get insurance is to shop around and get as many comparison website quotes as possible.

Can insurers cancel my policy with black box insurance?

Yes they can and even at the end of the policy they can recommend you find another insurer. Telematics or Black box insurance is not for everyone, and young people who are attracted to it need to weigh up the pros (cheaper insurance) with the cons (cancelled policies).

Some young drivers find that insurance is so expensive they have no alternative than to go for a cheaper black box policy if they want to have the freedom that driving a car gives them. There is a compromise and that is sensible driving habits at the right time.

If you do find out that the insurer is about to cancel your policy you might want to try and do it before they get the chance because cancelled policies can be flagged when you try to get insurance somewhere else.

What time of the night is discouraged for black box policy holders?

Young people driving between 10pm and 4am tend to be more reckless drivers and as a result there are more crashes between these hours than during the day. Insurers call these hours curfew and if you repeatedly break curfew you will get a low score from your insurer if you are using telematics or a black box.

Is black box insurance just for young people?

No, black box insurance is for everyone who thinks that it will help them drive down the price of their insurance premium because they are deemed a high risk driver or someone who has recently made claims. For example, if you have an unspent conviction related to driving or not, this might be your way to get back in a car.

Whether it is right for you will depend on how much the premium costs are and if you feel you can adhere to the safe driving policy set out by the insurer.

What are the disadvantages of black box insurance?

Telematics insurance can be restrictive if you want to;

  • Do a lot of mileage - usually there is a limited mileage policy per year.
  • Drive at night - 10pm to 4am is curfew. 
  • Break the speed limit - Think of it like having a speed camera in your glove box.
  • Drive fast around roundabouts - Gran Turismo and Black Box insurance don’t mix.

If you drive safely and don’t break speed limits and you are a young or at risk driver then getting a cheap insurance policy might only be possible with a telematics (black box). No black box might mean no driving so you need to make that call.

What are the alternatives to black box insurance?

The obvious alternative to telematics is ‘no black box’ insurance and there are comparison sites out there who specifically try to find you the best quote without black box insurance.

Technically there are variations of the black box, including ‘plug and drive’, only app based using the phone's GPS and mileage only insurance. The best for you will depend on your circumstances.

If you are only going to do limited mileage per year and can park the car in a safe place, insurance per mile could be financially more beneficial to you than black box insurance.

Disclaimer: This information is intended for editorial purposes only and not intended as a recommendation or financial advice.


Compare Black Box Insurance renewal with other popular cars

JobEstimate
Vauxhall Corsa car Insurance£51.39 per month
Ford Kuga car insurance£75.00 per month
Over 50's car insurance£20.69 per month
Convicted Driver Insurance£48.50 per month
Nissan Juke car insurance£57.14 per month
Nissan Qashqai car insurance£52.79 per month
Ford Focus car insurance£53.06 per month
Black Box Insurance£80.73 per month
BMW 3 Series car insurance£44.22 per month
Ford Mondeo car insurance£62.95 per month
VW Golf car insurance£52.75 per month
Ford Fiesta car insurance£45.00 per month
Cheap car insurance£40.00 per month
Vauxhall Astra car insurance£49.46 per month
Volkswagen Polo car insurance£50.29 per month
Black Box Car Insurance estimated cost per month
Black Box Car Insurance approximate cost in the UK per month
Location in UKBlack Box Car Insurance cost
Black Box Car Insurance near Aberdeen£55.70
Black Box Car Insurance near Bath£60.55
Black Box Car Insurance near Birmingham£99.30
Black Box Car Insurance near Blackburn£97.68
Black Box Car Insurance near Blackpool£103.33
Black Box Car Insurance near Bolton£80.73
Black Box Car Insurance near Bournemouth£58.93
Black Box Car Insurance near Bradford£67.01
Black Box Car Insurance near Brighton£67.01
Black Box Car Insurance near Bristol£74.27
Black Box Car Insurance near Bromley£94.45
Black Box Car Insurance near Cambridge£45.21
Black Box Car Insurance near Canterbury£83.15
Black Box Car Insurance near Cardiff£75.89
Black Box Car Insurance near Carlisle£54.09
Black Box Car Insurance near Central London£71.04
Black Box Car Insurance near Central London£67.81
Black Box Car Insurance near Chelmsford£88.00
Black Box Car Insurance near Chester£56.51
Black Box Car Insurance near Cleveland£78.31
Black Box Car Insurance near Colchester£79.12
Black Box Car Insurance near Coventry£104.95
Black Box Car Insurance near Crewe£81.54
Black Box Car Insurance near Croydon£104.95
Black Box Car Insurance near Darlington£75.89
Black Box Car Insurance near Dartford£94.45
Black Box Car Insurance near Derby£112.21
Black Box Car Insurance near Doncaster£89.61
Black Box Car Insurance near Dorchester£59.74
Black Box Car Insurance near Dudley£99.30
Black Box Car Insurance near Dumfrues and Galloway£45.21
Black Box Car Insurance near Dundee£62.97
Black Box Car Insurance near Durham£70.24
Black Box Car Insurance near East London£123.52
Black Box Car Insurance near Edinburgh£61.35
Black Box Car Insurance near Enfield£109.79
Black Box Car Insurance near Exeter£64.58
Black Box Car Insurance near Falkirk & Stirling£42.79
Black Box Car Insurance near Galashiels£55.70
Black Box Car Insurance near Glasgow£94.45
Black Box Car Insurance near Gloucester£75.89
Black Box Car Insurance near Guildford£78.31
Black Box Car Insurance near Halifax£91.22
Black Box Car Insurance near Harrogate£75.08
Black Box Car Insurance near Harrow£84.77
Black Box Car Insurance near Hemel Hempstead£95.26
Black Box Car Insurance near Hereford£72.66
Black Box Car Insurance near Huddersfield£101.72
Black Box Car Insurance near Hull£84.77
Black Box Car Insurance near Ilford£100.11
Black Box Car Insurance near Inverness£41.17
Black Box Car Insurance near Ipswich£83.15
Black Box Car Insurance near Isle of Man£79.12
Black Box Car Insurance near Isle of Wight£71.04
Black Box Car Insurance near Kilmarnock£73.46
Black Box Car Insurance near Kingston upon Thames£92.84
Black Box Car Insurance near Kirkcaldy£68.62
Black Box Car Insurance near Kirkwall£76.69
Black Box Car Insurance near Lancaster£79.92
Black Box Car Insurance near Leeds£63.78
Black Box Car Insurance near Leicester£74.27
Black Box Car Insurance near Lerwick£44.40
Black Box Car Insurance near Lincoln£73.46
Black Box Car Insurance near Liverpool£124.32
Black Box Car Insurance near llandrindod Wells£49.25
Black Box Car Insurance near Llandudno£63.78
Black Box Car Insurance near Luton£124.32
Black Box Car Insurance near Manchester£110.60
Black Box Car Insurance near Milton Keynes£84.77
Black Box Car Insurance near Motherwell£83.15
Black Box Car Insurance near Newcastle Upon Tyne£76.69
Black Box Car Insurance near Newport£66.20
Black Box Car Insurance near North London£88.00
Black Box Car Insurance near North West London£96.88
Black Box Car Insurance near Northampton£99.30
Black Box Car Insurance near Northern Ireland£67.01
Black Box Car Insurance near Norwich£64.58
Black Box Car Insurance near Nottingham£104.95
Black Box Car Insurance near Oldam£105.76
Black Box Car Insurance near Outer Hebrides£58.13
Black Box Car Insurance near Oxford£88.80
Black Box Car Insurance near Paisley£67.01
Black Box Car Insurance near Perth£60.55
Black Box Car Insurance near Peterborough£79.12
Black Box Car Insurance near Plymouth£62.16
Black Box Car Insurance near Portsmouth£68.62
Black Box Car Insurance near Preston£88.80
Black Box Car Insurance near Reading£80.73
Black Box Car Insurance near Redhill£83.15
Black Box Car Insurance near Rochester£90.42
Black Box Car Insurance near Romford£89.61
Black Box Car Insurance near Salisbury£62.16
Black Box Car Insurance near Sheffield£113.83
Black Box Car Insurance near Shrewsbury£58.13
Black Box Car Insurance near Slough£111.41
Black Box Car Insurance near South East London£101.72
Black Box Car Insurance near South West London£97.68
Black Box Car Insurance near Southall£108.99
Black Box Car Insurance near Southampton£72.66
Black Box Car Insurance near Southend-on-Sea£83.15
Black Box Car Insurance near St Albans£78.31
Black Box Car Insurance near Stevenage£84.77
Black Box Car Insurance near Stockport£105.76
Black Box Car Insurance near Stoke-on-Trent£95.26
Black Box Car Insurance near Sunderland£76.69
Black Box Car Insurance near Sutton£100.91
Black Box Car Insurance near Swansea£67.01
Black Box Car Insurance near Swindon£69.43
Black Box Car Insurance near Taunton£65.39
Black Box Car Insurance near Telford£77.50
Black Box Car Insurance near Tonbridge£83.15
Black Box Car Insurance near Torquay£72.66
Black Box Car Insurance near Truro£56.51
Black Box Car Insurance near Twickenham£92.03
Black Box Car Insurance near Wakefield£74.27
Black Box Car Insurance near Walsall£94.45
Black Box Car Insurance near Warrington£86.38
Black Box Car Insurance near Watford£91.22
Black Box Car Insurance near West London£94.45
Black Box Car Insurance near Wigan£76.69
Black Box Car Insurance near Wolverhampton£108.18
Black Box Car Insurance near Worcester£71.85
Black Box Car Insurance near York£78.31