From Guest-Blogger Amy Nielson: Tips for Choosing an Eco-friendly Insurance Company

Insurance companies have been on board with the green revolution for a number of years now, and not only is it easier than ever to get major discounts for already owning an eco-friendly home or car, you can also use insurance to help you make the transition. Eco-friendly lifestyle changes can help you with your insurance prices because studies have shown that people who are concerned with environmental factors are also less likely to be at risk for filing an insurance claim in general. You may be interested in eco-friendly insurance, but you don’t have the money to install a solar system in your home or buy a hybrid car. There are still ways to choose the most eco-friendly policies available to you, ones that will let you save money for all the ways you incorporate helping the environment into your life.

1. Home Insurance

Of course, homeowners with solar or other environmental upgrades get a discount on their home insurance. But you can also buy policies that ensure you will be able to replace your appliances, insulation, and other features of your home with eco-friendly materials after a loss. These policies can cost you around 3 percent more, which is nothing compared to the cost of the materials themselves. So if you have always considered upgrading your home to make it more eco-friendly, it’s a good idea to have insurance that would invest in you doing that. These policies cover green roofs, efficient plumbing, energy systems, and more. When shopping for home insurance, you should read a helpful article about mortgage life insurance and think about how long you intend to keep your house and when you can pay it off. If you want to get the most value for your investment, talk to your agent about green options. Most likely, their company has plenty.

2. Car Insurance

Automobile insurance is one of the areas where it’s easiest to find discounts for eco-friendly vehicles and drivers, because there are a range of things you can do to qualify. You should already be receiving discounts if you drive a hybrid or electric car, but you can also save a lot of money by reducing the amount of miles you drive. There has also been a rise in the popularity of pay-as-you-go insurance. The opportunity to pay for just as much car insurance as you need, with a GPS tracker on your car to monitor your mileage, cuts down your insurance costs and helps the environment at the same time. Deciding how green you can go with your car insurance should be something you think about before you buy a car. Whatever your driving needs are, you will find that the majority of car insurance providers will provide incentive for your eco-friendly transportation choices.

3. Business Insurance

If you are a small business owner, you can take advantage of many of the same green options that homeowners have. If your business is LEED compliant, you can save as much as 10 percent on your policy, but if you utilize an older office space, you can get an upgrade policy that will replace any losses with green alternatives. And if your company operates vehicles as a part of your business, you can take advantage of a similar upgrade policy that would replace your company cars with hybrids in the event of a loss. Even if the premium is slightly more, these options can save money in the long run, especially because going green is proving to be more than a trend. It’s a permanent shift for both individuals and companies. You’re guaranteed to attract better clients and take your business to the next level if you’re looking towards the future.

In almost every aspect of your home and work life, becoming more eco-friendly and saving money actually go hand in hand. When you’re searching for any kind of insurance, it’s important to do research and compare what different companies have to offer on sites like www.kanetix.ca where you can easily find which policy meets your needs and your budget. Insurers know that helping the environment becomes more of a priority for responsible consumers all the time. When you combine that with the fact that environmentally conscious people are much more likely to need to file claims, you can see why they are happy to keep the green wave going. You might find it hard to say no to the idea of protecting the planet and your biggest investments at the same time.

Amy Nielson is an avid blogger. You can follow her on Twitter @NielsonAmy.