What is the product?

As a major UK motor insurer, Direct Line Group believes our ‘green’ USP should be to insure, fix and repair electric vehicles, while aiming to do this in the most energy efficient repair network in the UK. Repair centres are fundamental to Direct Line Group’s claims and supply chain operation, but also one of the most carbon intensive areas of the business. We are therefore exploring a range of sustainable practices we can embed to meet our environmental obligations as part of our emissions reduction strategy.

How does it support green outcomes?

A range of solutions are being evaluated which would be an environmental win-win by both reducing our carbon footprint and supporting the UK transition to electric vehicles and hybrid cars by giving our customers the reassurance that their changing needs can be met. Amongst the options being explored are:

  • Moving away from reliance on gas powered repair processes.

  • Offering customers the option of ‘green’ parts that could reduce the need for new replacement parts and provide confidence about what can be recycled from salvage operations if motorists select this option when fitting parts to their vehicle.

  • Engaging with truck fleet manufacturers by testing the viability of alternative fuels, such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), to power recovery trucks which play an important part in servicing customer motor claims.

  • Ramping up the training of our new technicians and upskilling current colleagues in electric vehicle repair, which requires different techniques compared to traditional vehicles and installing electric charging points across sites can promote public confidence in the transition to electric.

Direct Line Group’s Green Flag rescue brand is also optimising its roadside fix rate by wherever possible resolving customer claims over the phone, reducing the need to tow vehicles. This has meant saving approximately 220,000 miles over the last eighteen months. Longer term, piloting video conferencing facilities offers the opportunity to maximise roadside fix solutions.

How does it enable customers today?

Direct Line Group provides 4 million in-force motor insurance policies where customers are supported by 22 Auto Services repair centres throughout the UK. We are one of the largest body shop businesses in the UK, also operating a partnership network with other body shop suppliers around the country.