Owning and running a car can be expensive, so saving money on car insurance makes sound financial sense. Car insurance premiums make up a large proportion of the costs of owning a car and can be particularly expensive if you are a young or new driver.
In this short guide to cheaper car insurance, we have put together some great tips on how to bring down the cost of car insurance quotes, including the best way to buy cheap car insurance online.
1 minute summary
- The quickest and easiest way to get cheap car insurance is via a comparison site as it allows you to compare the cost of multiple car insurance providers at once.
- We have partnered with Quotezone* so that you can compare quotes from over 120 UK car insurance providers.
- Remember to read the policy terms and conditions carefully to ensure you're getting the right amount of cover.
How to make car insurance cheaper
Check your car's insurance group
Each make and model of car is placed in an insurance group by insurance companies. These groups are allocated by using various factors, such as the cost of repair, the value of the car and its performance. The higher the insurance group, usually the more expensive your insurance premium will be. Before purchasing your new car, check its insurance group to see how much it is going to cost you to insure. You can check the insurance group of your car with this handy car insurance group checker tool by MoneySuperMarket.
Think about your mileage
The fewer miles you drive the cheaper your car insurance is likely to be, so make an accurate estimate of your potential annual mileage. Make sure you don't underestimate your mileage as this could invalidate your insurance cover.
Increase your voluntary excess
All insurance companies impose a standard excess to their policies but you can add an additional voluntary excess to your policy to reduce the premiums. Generally, the higher the excess the lower the car insurance premium. However, the excess is usually payable per claim so you need to ensure that this is an amount that you can afford.
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Our partner Quotezone will compare quotes from over 120 UK insurance providers
- You could save up to £523**
Shop around
Shopping around for car insurance is now easier than ever, there are a number of comparison websites available to help you get a more competitive deal. We have partnered with Quotezone* so that you can search and compare quotes from over 120 UK car insurance providers to save time and money on your insurance.
Just complete the online form and you will get several quotes to choose from in seconds. However, you need to make sure you are comparing like for like cover by checking the details of the cover provided and ensuring it fits the car insurance policy you need. We explain the different types of car insurance in our article which can help you to decide on the type of policy you need.
Protect your no-claims bonus
Although protecting your no-claims bonus will initially increase your premium by a few pounds it will keep your future premiums down if you subsequently make a claim. This is because insurers are likely to consider you as a lower risk if you do not often claim on your car insurance policy.
Cut out the extras
Breakdown cover and courtesy cars are additional extras that can usually be purchased in addition to your car insurance policy. However, these extras do come at an additional cost and you could therefore save money if you do not need them. Take a look at the cost of your policy if these extras are removed and work out if they are something you really need. For breakdown cover it may work out cheaper to buy this separately, our article ‘What is breakdown cover and how does it work?‘ looks at the cost of some of the best breakdown cover in the UK. It is also worth checking to see if you already have legal cover through other insurance policies such as your home insurance.
Make your car more secure
If your car does not have an immobiliser or alarm then get one fitted, this could reduce your premium significantly. Check with your insurer what brand of security equipment they will accept as not all brands will attract a premium reduction.
Mind where you park
Where you leave the car overnight will affect your insurance premiums. Parking in a garage or on a drive is the best option but be truthful about where you regularly park as lying could invalidate your policy when it comes to making a claim.
Be accurate with your occupation
Your current occupation has an effect on your premium, so rather than picking a generic job title be more specific as this could save you money. Don't be afraid to contact the insurance company, to explain your job in more detail, if you feel that your generic job title is penalising you unfairly. MoneySavingExpert has a handy ‘car insurance job picker‘ tool, the aim of which is to ‘beat the insurers just by changing your job title'. Obviously, if you change your occupation you will need to inform your insurer so they can make the necessary changes to your policy. For more information, read our article ‘Does your job title affect your car insurance policy?‘
Pay annually, it's cheaper
Paying monthly can add a significant amount to your overall annual premium as many insurers will charge interest for the privilege of spreading the cost. Damien explains more about paying insurance annually in this paying insurance annually in this video.
Don't auto-renew
Most insurance companies assume that you are going to renew your policy at the end of each year. Your insurer will send you all your renewal documents in anticipation and if you are paying by direct debit they may even take your premium. Make sure that you put a note in your diary of the renewal date and before that date arrives use a comparison site such as Quotezone* to make sure you are still getting the best insurance policy for you. If you can get a cheaper deal elsewhere contact your insurer and see if you can negotiate a cheaper renewal premium.
Fit a black box
A black box, that monitors your driving, can be fitted to your car by a telematics car insurance company. This can help reduce your premiums if your driving is considered acceptable. This is particularly useful for young drivers who can now prove to their insurer that they are driving sensibly and safely and obtain reduced premiums. Direct Line, Admiral, RAC and Hastings Direct are all examples of insurers that can fit a black box to your vehicle.
How to buy cheap car insurance
One of the quickest and easiest ways to buy cheap car insurance is via a comparison site. You could save time and money on your car insurance with Quotezone* – you could save up to £523**.
Comparison sites allow you to compare multiple insurers at once to find the cheapest deal. One thing to consider, however, is that comparison sites are not always whole of market and therefore may not show quotes from every car insurer on the market. This means that you may be able to get a better deal elsewhere.
It is advisable to compare quotes from numerous comparison sites as well as insurers such as Direct Line that do not feature on comparison sites.
When gathering quotes for your car insurance remember to check that the policy meets all of your requirements as the cheapest policy does not always mean it is the best.
For more car insurance must knows watch episode 463 of the Money to the Masses podcast.
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