Insurance group letters explained: what does 15E, 50U or 21A mean?
Quick answer
You'll sometimes see a UK car insurance group shown with a letter after the number, like 15E or 22A. The number (1–50) is always the primary ABI/Thatcham rating — the letter is a suffix some data providers and comparison sites add to flag that the rating applies to one specific derivative (engine, trim or body style) out of several closely related versions of the same model, not a separate scoring scale.
The number always comes first
Whatever letter follows it, the number is the actual insurance group on the 1–50 scale set by the Group Rating Panel (Thatcham Research and the ABI). A car listed as "15E" is rated in group 15 — the same cost band as any other group 15 car.
The letter flags a specific variant, not a fixed universal meaning
Because most models are sold in dozens of trim, engine and body combinations, data providers attach a letter to distinguish the exact derivative a rating was calculated for. Different providers and different eras of data have used letters including E, U, A, D, P and G this way. There isn't one official public table mapping every letter to one fixed meaning across the whole market — we won't invent one. If you need the letter's precise meaning for your exact reg, your insurer or a Thatcham-licensed data provider can confirm it against your specific vehicle record.
What you should actually do with a lettered group
For budgeting and comparison purposes, treat the number as primary — 15E and 15U both sit in group 15's cost band. Use our checker to confirm the group tied to your specific registration, which resolves the exact derivative automatically rather than leaving you guessing what a letter means.
How this relates to the new VRR framework
From August 2024, Thatcham Research began phasing in a Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) methodology for newly launched model ranges, sitting alongside the classic 1–50 group system. Over time, some new vehicles may carry a VRR score instead of, or alongside, a traditional lettered group. We flag this on model and result pages wherever it applies.
Searched just "insurance group E" or "insurance group N", without a number attached? On its own, a letter tells you nothing about cost — you need the number it's attached to. Not sure which group and letter applies to your car? Use our free insurance group checker or see the full insurance groups list. For the full background on how the underlying 1–50 rating is calculated in the first place, read car insurance groups explained.
Specific lettered groups, decoded
Whichever lettered group brought you here, the table below shows the underlying band and a typical annual cost estimate for its number. People search these both ways round — “08e insurance group” and “insurance group 08e” — so both orderings are listed against the same row, because the answer is identical either way.
| How people search it | Group | Band | Typical annual cost* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2e insurance group | 2E | Very low | £195–£305 |
| 03u insurance group | 3U | Very low | £210–£330 |
| insurance group 03u | 3U | Very low | £210–£330 |
| insurance group 04e | 4E | Very low | £230–£355 |
| 08e insurance group | 8E | Very low | £295–£465 |
| insurance group 08e | 8E | Very low | £295–£465 |
| 09e insurance group | 9E | Very low | £315–£490 |
| insurance group 09e | 9E | Very low | £315–£490 |
| insurance group 09e meaning | 9E | Very low | £315–£490 |
| 10e insurance group | 10E | Very low | £330–£520 |
| insurance group 10e | 10E | Very low | £330–£520 |
| 11e insurance group | 11E | Low | £350–£545 |
| insurance group 11e | 11E | Low | £350–£545 |
| 12e insurance group | 12E | Low | £365–£570 |
| insurance group 12e | 12E | Low | £365–£570 |
| 13e insurance group | 13E | Low | £380–£600 |
| insurance group 13e | 13E | Low | £380–£600 |
| 14e insurance group | 14E | Low | £400–£625 |
| insurance group 14e | 14E | Low | £400–£625 |
| 15e insurance group | 15E | Low | £415–£650 |
| insurance group 15 e | 15E | Low | £415–£650 |
| insurance group 15e | 15E | Low | £415–£650 |
| what is 15e insurance group | 15E | Low | £415–£650 |
| 16e insurance group | 16E | Low | £435–£680 |
| insurance group 16e | 16E | Low | £435–£680 |
| 17 e insurance group | 17E | Low | £450–£705 |
| 18e insurance group | 18E | Low | £470–£735 |
| insurance group 18e | 18E | Low | £470–£735 |
| 19a insurance group | 19A | Low | £485–£760 |
| insurance group 19a | 19A | Low | £485–£760 |
| 20e insurance group | 20E | Low | £505–£785 |
| 21a insurance group | 21A | Medium | £520–£815 |
| 21e insurance group | 21E | Medium | £520–£815 |
| 21e insurance group cost | 21E | Medium | £520–£815 |
| insurance group 21a | 21A | Medium | £520–£815 |
| insurance group 21e | 21E | Medium | £520–£815 |
| 22e insurance group | 22E | Medium | £540–£840 |
| insurance group 22e | 22E | Medium | £540–£840 |
| insurance groups 22e | 22E | Medium | £540–£840 |
| 23e insurance group | 23E | Medium | £555–£865 |
| insurance group 23e | 23E | Medium | £555–£865 |
| 24e insurance group | 24E | Medium | £570–£895 |
| insurance group 24e | 24E | Medium | £570–£895 |
| 27e insurance group | 27E | Medium | £625–£975 |
| insurance group 27e | 27E | Medium | £625–£975 |
| 29e insurance group | 29E | Medium | £660–£1030 |
| insurance group 29e | 29E | Medium | £660–£1030 |
| insurance group 30u | 30U | Medium | £675–£1055 |
| insurance group 32e | 32E | High | £710–£1110 |
| 34e insurance group | 34E | High | £745–£1165 |
| 34p insurance group | 34P | High | £745–£1165 |
| insurance group 34p | 34P | High | £745–£1165 |
| 38a insurance group | 38A | High | £815–£1270 |
| insurance group 38a | 38A | High | £815–£1270 |
| 39e insurance group | 39E | High | £830–£1295 |
| insurance group 39e | 39E | High | £830–£1295 |
| 42e insurance group | 42E | Very high | £880–£1380 |
| insurance group 42e | 42E | Very high | £880–£1380 |
| insurance group 44e cost | 44E | Very high | £915–£1430 |
| 45d insurance group | 45D | Very high | £935–£1460 |
| 45e insurance group | 45E | Very high | £935–£1460 |
| insurance group 45d | 45D | Very high | £935–£1460 |
| insurance group 45e | 45E | Very high | £935–£1460 |
| 46e insurance group | 46E | Very high | £950–£1485 |
| insurance group 46e | 46E | Very high | £950–£1485 |
| 50p insurance group | 50P | Very high | £1020–£1595 |
| 50u insurance group | 50U | Very high | £1020–£1595 |
| insurance group 50e | 50E | Very high | £1020–£1595 |
| insurance group 50p | 50P | Very high | £1020–£1595 |
| insurance group 50u | 50U | Very high | £1020–£1595 |
*Estimate only, not a quote — see our methodology.
Asking what a specific code means
A lot of people arrive searching for an insurance group 03U meaning, or an insurance group 09E meaning, expecting the letter to decode into something. It does not, and the honest answer is the same for every code in the table: the number is the rating, and the letter marks which derivative the rating was calculated for. Across the codes we see searched — A, D, E, P, U — there is no published, market-wide definition that assigns a cost or a category to the letter itself.
That has one genuinely useful consequence. If you are comparing two cars and one is listed as 22E while the other is listed as plain 22, they sit in the same cost band and you can compare them directly. The letter is only worth chasing if you need to confirm you are looking at the exact trim the rating belongs to — and for that, checking the registration is faster than decoding the code.
For what each number actually costs, every code in the table links through to its own group page, and the insurance group prices table lists all fifty groups side by side. If your car is a recent model that shows no group at all, it may be rated under the Vehicle Risk Rating framework instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does the letter after an insurance group mean?
You'll sometimes see a UK car insurance group shown with a letter after the number, like 15E or 22A. The number (1–50) is always the primary ABI/Thatcham rating — the letter is a suffix some data providers and comparison sites add to flag that the rating applies to one specific derivative (engine, trim or body style) out of several closely related versions of the same model, not a separate scoring scale.
What is 15E insurance group?
The number (15) is the actual ABI/Thatcham group — a "low" band car, typically £520–£745 a year to insure (estimate only). The "E" flags a specific derivative rather than changing that.
Does the letter make a group more or less expensive?
No — the number alone determines the cost band. Two cars in the same numbered group but with different letters (say 20E and 20U) sit in the same cost band; the letter only distinguishes which exact derivative the rating was calculated for.
Is there an official meaning for E, U, A, D, P and G?
Not one single published meaning that applies market-wide — different data providers have used these letters to flag derivatives over the years. We won't invent a definition we can't verify; treat the number as primary and check your exact reg with our checker or your insurer for certainty.
How does the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) framework affect lettered groups?
From August 2024, Thatcham Research began phasing in VRR for newly launched model ranges, sitting alongside the classic 1–50 scale. Some new vehicles may carry a VRR score instead of, or alongside, a traditional lettered group.
Sources & further reading
- Thatcham Research — The motor insurers' automotive research centre. Co-runs the Group Rating Panel that sets UK insurance groups, and publishes the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) framework.
- Association of British Insurers (ABI) — The trade body for UK insurers. Co-runs the Group Rating Panel behind the 1–50 insurance group scale.
- DVLA — Get vehicle information — The official GOV.UK service for vehicle details by registration. Our checker uses the DVLA's Vehicle Enquiry Service API, the same underlying record.