Car cover is one of those expensive necessities that seems to get pricier every year. To keep costs down, comparison site mustard.co.uk share ten tips to help you get the cheapest car insurance for your needs.
1. Pay for your car insurance annually
Although it’s a lot of money to part with, paying for your car insurance policy in one go really is cheaper. Paying in instalments means you’ll pay more overall as monthly interest will be added.
2. Consider all types of policy
Just because third party car insurance is the minimum level of cover you can have by law, don’t assume it’s going to be the cheapest option. While it can be cheaper for some drivers, you could be surprised at the value you can get from a comprehensive policy.
Comprehensive cover often includes a host of useful extra features like windscreen cover and legal expenses that you’d otherwise have to pay extra for.
Young drivers and convicted drivers can also benefit from telematics car insurance. These policies base premiums on the way you drive rather than using industry data to calculate premiums.
3. Build up your no claims bonus
Your no claims bonus (NCB) is a discount on your premium and is taken as a percentage. You earn your NCB for every year you drive without making a claim, so more claim-free years means a bigger percentage discount.
Insurers set their own discount rates but you could save anything between 30% after one year of no claims and up to 60% after five years. With that in mind, think carefully about what you claim for.
4. Keep your car secure
The harder it is for someone to steal or damage your car, the cheaper you can expect your premium to be. If you can’t keep your car locked overnight in a garage or on a private driveway, it could be worth enhancing your car’s security alarm. Alternatively, consider investing in an immobiliser to deter opportunistic thieves.
5. Avoid modifications
Modifications make your car unique and more expensive to repair or fix. As a consequence, your premiums are likely to increase. So, if you’re tempted to modify your car to help you ‘stand out from the crowd’, don’t — unless you want to pay higher premiums.
General exceptions are modifications that boost security and safety and those that aid disability.
6. Increase your voluntary excess
This can lower your overall premium but the figure you agree should still be affordable. If it isn’t and you can’t pay it, you won’t be able to proceed with any claims.
7. Drive fewer miles
The more miles you drive, the greater the risk of a potential accident. This in turn increases your car insurance premium.
You can lower premiums by minimising that risk and cutting down the number of miles you drive. If this isn’t an option, at least try to be as accurate as you can about the number of miles you do each year. Overestimating your mileage can mean you inadvertently pay more than you need.
8. Add a named driver to your policy
Adding a more experienced driver behind the wheel can lower your premium. This can be particularly worth doing if you’re a young driver under 25.
This is because under 25s are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident. Adding a named driver suggests you won’t be behind the wheel all of the time which minimises the risk of you being involved in an accident.
9. Tweak your job title
As far as insurers are concerned, some jobs are associated with riskier behaviours and higher claims. To avoid paying over the odds, you can try variations of your job title to see what impact it has on your premium. For example, receptionist versus medical receptionist, hairdresser versus hair stylist or midwife compared to community midwife.
Needless to say, whatever job title you choose still needs to accurately reflect what you do. Saying you’re a dentist rather than a dental hygienist is more than just tweaking your job role and can invalidate your policy.
10. Compare policies
Comparing policies from a range of different insurers really is the quickest and most effective way to save money on your car insurance.
At mustard.co.uk, you can compare dozens of leading UK insurers in just a few minutes. What’s more, with their Cheapest Price Guarantee, they’ll aim to beat your cheapest online quote, so, head over to mustard.co.uk and see how much you could save.
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