How to get cheap car insurance

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.

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 cheap quotes from over 110 UK car insurance providers.

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. 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 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 a good deal. If you can get a cheaper deal elsewhere call 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. We have partnered with Quotezone* so that you can search and compare cheap quotes from over 110 UK car insurance providers.

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.

 

 

If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link, Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses – Quotezone