1st Central is a good option for drivers looking for affordable and flexible car insurance. It has multiple levels of comprehensive and third party, fire and theft policies so you can get the right policy for your needs.
It also has a large range of optional extras that you can add to your policy for an additional premium and a 24/7 contact centre based in the UK in the unfortunate event of a claim.
All in all, this 5-star Defaqto-rated insurer is a good choice for most when it comes to looking for a provider.
Pros
24/7 UK-based claims helpline
Up to £1,500 key cover
Free courtesy car included as standard
Cons
No third party only cover option
Some customers reported a hike in renewal prices
The comprehensive car insurance that 1st Central sources comes with a range of benefits as standard, including a courtesy car while yours is being fixed by an approved repairer, and cover for lost keys and personal belongings. But what else is covered, and what are the options? We’ve analysed this top-rated car insurance broker and have the lowdown for you.
1st Central has been operating as a car insurance broker since 2008.
1st Central is the trading name of First Central Insurance Management Ltd, a subsidiary of First Central Group Ltd. First Central Insurance Management Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Who underwrites the car insurance from 1st Central?
1st Central car insurance is underwritten by 1st Central Underwriting (previously known as Skyfire Insurance Company Limited).
What is covered under my policy?
1st Central offers 6 levels of comprehensive car insurance and 5 levels of third party, fire and theft. It offers a multi-car discount too, which is handy.
Product Name
1st Central Comprehensive
1st Central Third Party, Fire & Theft
Damage to your car
✓
Damaged windscreen and window glass
✓
Fire and theft
✓
✓
Personal accident cover
✓
✓
Medical expenses
✓
Personal belongings
✓
✓
Liabilities to third parties
✓
✓
Using the car abroad
✓
✓
Alternative travel costs
✓
No-claims discount
✓
✓
Replacement locks
✓
Permanently fitted audio equipment
✓
✓
Optional extras
1st Central offers a range of additional protection to bolt onto your policy, including:
The cheapest of 1st Central’s comprehensive policies, Value cover includes hotel expenses up to £500 after an accident, a courtesy car while your car is being repaired, £1,500 cover if your keys are lost, stolen or accidentally damaged and up to 90 days of cover in the EU.
This is a telematics policy and requires a sensor to be fitted in the car. It has the same cover as Value as well as a few extras, including cover for personal belongings up to £250, permanently fitted audio or visual equipment and windscreen repair or replacement.
1st Central’s Comprehensive policy has the same cover as the telematics policy, but you don’t need to have a sensor in your car.
This policy is the same as the Comprehensive policy, but includes legal expenses cover up to £100,000 as standard.
The Plus policy has the same level of cover as the Comprehensive policy, with RAC breakdown cover included.
As the name suggests, Premier is the top policy 1st Central offers. It comes with everything from the Comprehensive policy, as well as legal expenses and RAC breakdown cover.
Third Party, Fire & Theft
1st Central’s telematics policy is also available as a third party, fire and theft policy. It covers for third-party claims, as well as for fire and theft, as the name suggests. It comes with £1,500 of cover for your keys if they’re lost, stolen or accidentally damaged, personal belongings up to £250, permanently fitted audio or visual equipment and 90 days of cover in the EU.
The standard third party, fire and theft policy offers everything that the Connect policy has, but doesn’t require a sensor in the car to track your driving.
As with the comprehensive policies, this one offers legal expenses cover up to £100,000.
Plus comes with everything from the standard third party, fire and theft policy, as well as the added benefit of RAC breakdown cover.
If you’ve been following along you’ll have worked out Premier is 1st Central’s top third party, fire and theft policy and has RAC breakdown and legal expenses cover as standard.
How do I make a claim?
You can claim online or by calling the 1st Central 24-hour claims helpline on 0333 043 2011 to report and incident and register a claim. This claims helpline is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
You will need to provide your policy details, personal contact details and information about the incident.
It’s vital that you let your insurer know about an incident as soon as possible, even if it’s not your fault. Failure to do this could result in a rejected claim later on.
What is my excess?
Your insurance excess is the amount of money you will need to pay towards a claim. Your insurer won’t pay out for a claim that costs less than this amount. A compulsory excess amount might vary depending on the age of your car and your driving experience.
A voluntary excess is on top and is normally set by you when taking out a policy. You’ll have the option of adding or increasing a voluntary excess – which should lower your premium.
You’ll find details about any compulsory or voluntary excesses in your policy document.
1st Central car insurance customer reviews
As of May 2024, on customer review platform Trustpilot, 1st Central as a company has 4.4 out of 5 stars and a rating of “Excellent”, based on more than 116,000 reviews.
On similar platform, Reviews.io, the company has 4.00 out of 5 stars, based on more than 5,000 reviews. 76% of customers say they would recommend the service.
How to cancel 1st Central car insurance
You can cancel online if you log in to your account. If you prefer to talking to someone you can do it via the live chat or by calling 0333 043 2085.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. If you wish, cover can start instantly.
A quote from 1st Central is valid for 30 days however quotes are subject to change.
Yes, 1st Central offers policies that can be paid in full or by monthly direct debit payments.
Yes, but only for existing policy holders in order to insure a second car. Temporary insurance cover will match the cover level of your main policy and can be taken out for 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks.
You can check your expiry date and other policy details on 1st Central online portal.
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Liz Edwards has been a consumer writer and editor for more than 20 years. She led award-winning teams at the campaigning publisher Which?, and has covered a range of consumer rights and personal finance topics including pensions, credit, banking and insurance. Liz has appeared frequently in national media such as The Sun, Metro, HuffPost and The Independent. She loves to cut through waffle to give consumers the real lowdown. And she loves puns. See full bio
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Jason is a writer and editor. He worked as a senior subeditor for Finder for 5 years and in that time became familiar with a wide range of financial products and services. Before that, he worked for Australian Associated Press. He has a BA from Macquarie University in Australia. Jason loves to help other people find new ways to save money. See full bio
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