The renewal notice for your car insurance popping through your letterbox should be your cue to find a better deal on cover for your motor.
Most car insurance providers rely on their customers simply accepting their uncompetitive renewal quote rather than taking the time to find out if they could do better.
Well, time is money and time spent seeking out a better deal on your car insurance will save you a few quid in the long run.
If you’re on the ball, you should be comparing car insurance quotes even before you receive your renewal quote from your current provider.
There are loads of car insurance comparison sites online and if you take some time and sit down with a pen and paper and note down the best deals, then you’ll be armed with some killer quotes when it’s time to renew.
Then, when your current provider sends their renewal quote to you, you will be able to either bargain for a better deal with them or head off to another insurer whose offering cheaper car insurance.
If you do decide to compare quotes online, don’t just use some of the well-known comparison sites you see advertised on the TV. Often some of these websites don’t give you the full picture and only compare quotes from a section of the market.
Try and get your hands on as many different quotes as possible through a number of different comparison sites. There are some big insurance providers who don’t feature on comparison sites, so you should also go direct to their website to see what they can offer.
Of course, comparing car insurance quotes online is only useful if you are matching up like for like cover. If you are seeking a better deal than your renewal quote, make sure you are looking at policies which offer the same level of cover and any extras such as breakdown cover and legal protection.
Remember some car insurance providers may include certain features as standard which others charge extra for. If in doubt, get out the magnifying glass and check the small print or call the insurer directly to ask a few questions.
Playing providers off each other to get the best deal can help save you a tidy sum on your car insurance, but you can also do your bit to keep the cost of you cover down.
Taking out a higher excess will reduce your premiums, but it will also mean that you more towards any claim you might make. It’s a bit of a balancing act, so think about how much might be able to pay for repairs to your car should you need them.
Try and get an accurate idea of how much mileage you do in a year. You may find you aren’t travelling as much as you think and lower mileage will shave a few quid off the cost of your car insurance.
Where you keep your car at night also has a bearing on how much you pay for car insurance. Insurers will charge you more if you keep it parked on the street, so where possible, keep your car in a driveway or, better still, under lock and key in a garage.
Lyndon Ogden is a writer on the cost of living including how to lesten the cost of insuring and selling your car or other vehicles
