Insurance cashback lure for 'greener car' drivers

Drivers who switch to greener cars will receive cashback on their insurance under a scheme launched today by yesinsurance.co.uk.

The online insurer has teamed up with the charity Climate Change to encourage motorist to ditch gas-guzzlers and replace them with more environmentally friendly vehicles.

The Cashback initiative provides a £40 (€59) incentive to hybrid owners taking out motor insurance with yesinsurance.co.uk.

Half the money will go to the driver, with the other half being donated to the carbon off-setting organisation.

Hybrid cars – such as the Honda Civic and Toyota Prius with fuel engines and electric motors – currently represent a small percentage of cars.

Launching the new insurance for hybrid owners, Paul Purdy, head of marketing at yesinsurance.co.uk said: “We have a responsibility to help minimise the impact that motoring has on the environment. Motoring is a majr contributor to carbon emissions and global warming and we want to help people reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that they produce.”

David Wellington, managing director of Climate Care, said he hoped that other insurers would follow the lead.

He added: “The insurance industry has woken up to the fact that climate care is going to be a massive issue for them.

“They are the people who have to insure against flooding and other extreme weather events.

“As such, they are the obvious people to start leading the charge for making people more responsible about carbon emissions.”