Here is our guide to cutting the cost of insuring your motor
Lot’s of people hate the fact that they have to pay for insurance when they buy a car.
But despite most of us never having to use it, it’s good to be safe in the knowledge that, should something go wrong on the road, you’ll be covered.
We’ve all read reports of premium prices skyrocketing in recent years, so what can you do to bring the price down?
Searching for cheap but trustworthy insurance can be a difficult task so we spoke to an expert to find it why it can be expensive for some areas.
The reasons why those living in or near city centres are paying much more is because they are considered to be at a higher risk of having an accident.
Other factors potentially contributing to higher premiums by postcode include vehicle crime, uninsured driving or attempts at ‘crash for cash’ fraud.
So if your postcode falls into a higher insurance bracket it is difficult to find the best deal.
Matt Oliver, spokesperson for GoCompare.com car insurance says: “Your postcode is one of the things that can help them understand the likelihood you making a claim.
“So using a comparison site to obtain quotes from a number of different insurers could help you to save money on your car insurance.”
The first step to finding cheap car insurance will be to shop around and compare quotes at websites such as GoCompare and USwitch .
Choose the correct job title
If you describe yourself as a “chef” when filling in your car insurance application, your average quote is £98 higher than if you write “kitchen staff”, GoCompare.com found – and it’s not just cooks that have this problem.
“Music teachers” pay £86 more than “teachers”, “office managers” pay more than “office administrators”, and “construction workers” pay more than “builders” who, in turn, pay more than “bricklayers”.
Get another policy
The more policies you have with your insurance company, the more money you could save in many cases – so ask your insurance provider if you are eligible for any discounts.
Add security features
It all adds up so by telling your broker you have an alarm, immobilizer or if your car is kept in a garage, it should make a difference.
Check your policy
You should check the cost differences between third party and comprehensive.
It might not make financial sense to pay the difference because of the value of your vehicle.
For example, if your car is a banger, there’s little point in having comprehensive cover – you should only pay for the cover you require.
Add another driver
In many cases, the rate of an insured driver combined with a spouse or partner is lower than just one insured driver. So adding a driver from your household could make it cheaper.
Add a second car
A number of insurance companies offer second car discounts – so if there are two or more cars in the family, get them both with the same insurer.