What 1st CENTRAL does

1st CENTRAL is the consumer-facing trading name of First Central Insurance Management Ltd, a UK-regulated personal lines insurance manager operating within First Central Group. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Haywards Heath, the company sells car insurance and home insurance directly to UK consumers through three distribution layers: its own digital platforms (quote.1stcentralinsurance.com for acquisition and my.1stcentralinsurance.com for policy servicing), price comparison websites, and telephone sales. As of 31 December 2025, First Central Group directly employed 1,333 employees, and 1st Central states a 1.4 million-customer base with 15+ years of operating history in car insurance. The group also includes 1st Central Underwriting (formerly Skyfire Insurance Company Limited), the carrier that underwrites 1st Central-branded motor policies.

The product portfolio centres on Car Insurance (comprehensive, third-party fire & theft, and telematics under the 1st Central Connect sub-brand, which uses a windscreen-attached sensor plus smartphone app to monitor driving behaviour and crash detection) and Home Insurance (buildings, contents, or combined, with a 10% cross-sell discount for existing car customers). Motor add-ons include RAC Breakdown Cover, Personal Accident, Hire Car, Excess Protect, Legal Expenses, Protected No Claims Discount, and Key Assist; home add-ons include Full Accidental Damage, Home Emergency, Home Legal Protection, and Personal Possessions. Multicar policies can cover up to 5 vehicles with up to £50 off each additional car. The "Your Account" portal handles documents, payments, mid-term amendments, claims initiation, and renewals 24/7, and the company integrates with the DVLA, the Motor Insurers' Database (askMID), and FCA-regulated partner networks.

Revenue is generated through recurring car and home insurance premiums paid annually or via monthly premium finance (subject to credit checks, with deposits and interest), supplemented by add-on attach economics and bundled-discount retention mechanics. Pricing starts at £253 per year for car insurance, with 10% of customers reported to have paid £252.27 or less in 2025. All activity is governed by FCA authorisation (firm reference 483296), and external validation comes from Defaqto's 5-star car insurance rating and Defaqto's Car Insurer of the Year 2025/26 award. Distribution is exclusively UK-domestic across own-site, aggregator, and telephony channels.

Name

1st CENTRAL

Legal name

First Central Insurance Management Ltd

Website

https://1stcentralinsurance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

1st CENTRAL is a UK personal lines insurance provider offering car and home insurance to roughly 1.4 million retail customers through direct digital platforms, price comparison websites, and telephony, with telematics-based cover via 1st Central Connect and underwriting by group affiliate 1st Central Underwriting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Lines Insurance

NAICS

Direct Property and Casualty Insurance Carriers (524126)

SIC

Fire, Marine & Casualty Insurance (6331)

akta.pro primary industry

Standard Personal Auto Insurance (Liability, Collision & Comprehensive) (FSAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Car insurance
• Home insurance
• Telematics insurance
• Multicar insurance
• UK personal lines

Headquarters

HQ city

Haywards Heath

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Car Insurance Premiums: Annual or monthly recurring insurance premiums for car coverage including comprehensive, third-party fire and theft, and telematics-based policies. Customers can pay in full or in monthly instalments subject to creditworthiness assessment.
2. Home Insurance Premiums: Annual or monthly recurring insurance premiums for buildings insurance, contents insurance, or combined buildings and contents coverage. Optional add-ons include Full Accidental Damage Cover, Home Emergency Cover, Home Legal Protection Cover, and Personal Possessions Cover.
3. Premium Finance Products: Direct agreements for unsecured personal lending (premium finance) with customers, allowing them to spread payments for insurance policies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

1st CENTRAL is a UK personal lines insurer selling car insurance, multicar insurance, and home insurance directly to individual consumers through its own website, price-comparison websites, and a UK telephone channel. It underwrites and prices motor risk using telematics data collected via its 1st Central Connect smartphone product, and supports customers with online self-service, optional policy add-ons, and a 24/7 UK claims operation.

Product overview

1st CENTRAL is a UK-based insurance provider offering car and home insurance products through a multi-channel distribution model including price comparison websites, telephone, and its own digital platforms. The core product portfolio centers on Car Insurance (comprehensive, third-party fire & theft, and telematics via 1st Central Connect) and Home Insurance (buildings, contents, or combined coverage), with Multicar Insurance for multiple vehicle households. The company operates a modular add-on architecture where customers can enhance base policies with optional extras including RAC Breakdown Cover, Personal Accident Cover, Hire Car Cover, Excess Protect Cover, Legal Expenses Cover, Protected No Claims Discount Cover, and Key Assist for motor insurance; and Full Accidental Damage Cover, Home Emergency Cover, Home Legal Protection Cover, and Personal Possessions Cover for home insurance. All policies are managed through the Your Account digital platform, with 1st Central Underwriting (part of First Central Group) providing the underlying insurance capacity. The company emphasizes telematics-based pricing through 1st Central Connect, which uses sensor and app technology to monitor driving behavior and potentially reward safer drivers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 1st Central Connect: Telematics-based car insurance policy using a sensor and smartphone app to monitor driving behaviour and provide driving scores.
• Your Account

Products and services

• Car Insurance

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of claims paid in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• RACcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1st Central partners with RAC (Royal Automobile Club) to provide various levels of RAC Breakdown Cover to customers. The partnership offers roadside assistance, home start, and European breakdown cover options. Customers can report breakdowns via RAC's online portal Rescue Me, the myRAC app, or by phone. RAC is described as a trusted partner helping customers get their cars back up and running.
• StepChangesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner1st Central has partnered with StepChange, the UK's leading debt advice charity, to provide free, impartial, and non-judgmental financial advice and support to customers experiencing financial difficulties. StepChange helps hundreds of thousands of people each year deal with money worries. Any information shared with StepChange is confidential and 1st Central will not see it.
• SignVideosupportingTechnology or Integration1st Central has teamed up with SignVideo to give customers who are deaf or hard of hearing the ability to communicate via British Sign Language (BSL). This service enables accessibility for customers with hearing difficulties through video relay interpretation.
• First Central Underwriting LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1stst Central car insurance is underwritten by 1st Central Underwriting (previously known as Skyfire Insurance Company Limited). Both 1st Central and 1st Central Underwriting are part of First Central Group, creating an integrated insurance and underwriting operation within the corporate group.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• RAC: UK roadside assistance provider and a strategic partner of 1st Central for breakdown cover; RAC also sells its own motor insurance, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct like-for-like competitor.

Direct peers

• LV= (Liverpool Victoria): UK mutual insurer with a comparable motor/home product range, distributed through both direct and PCW channels — competes for the same household insurance wallet.
• Direct Line Group: Largest UK direct personal lines insurer with motor, home, and add-on products and prominent direct and PCW distribution; serves as the structural price benchmark for 1st Central's products.
• Admiral Group: UK-headquartered personal lines insurer with multi-product (motor, home, multicar) exposure and strong price-comparison-website presence — the closest analogue to 1st Central's direct-to-consumer / PCW distribution model.
• Hastings Group: UK PCW-led motor and household insurer with a similar digital-first customer acquisition model; competes head-to-head with 1st Central on aggregator result pages.
• esure: Digital-led UK personal lines insurer that previously operated exclusively through price comparison websites for motor and home — a near-clone of 1st Central's go-to-market and product mix.
• Saga (car insurance): UK specialist consumer insurer offering motor and home to a defined demographic, with branded direct distribution and add-on products — comparable product architecture, different customer segment.

Broad incumbents

• Aviva UK: One of the UK's largest general insurers selling motor and home through direct, broker, and PCW channels — overlap with 1st Central's core offering but bundled inside a much broader life & pensions portfolio.
• Ageas UK: Major UK general insurer underwriting motor and home, typically via broker and direct channels; offers a comparable product set but as part of a wider personal and commercial lines portfolio.

Regional players

• NFU Mutual: UK mutual general insurer focused on rural and regional personal and commercial lines; similar motor/home product range but distributed through a regional branch network rather than a digital-first/PCW model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/1stcentral
• Facebookfacebook.com/1stcentral
• Instagraminstagram.com/1stcentral

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 1st CENTRAL