How to get a lower quote
Follow these tips to get cheap car insurance:
1. Insurance Group
Get a low insurance group rated car, ideally a Group 1 car. The lower the group rating, the lower your insurance usually is. This is VERY important, especially for a new or young driver.
2. Car Age
Get a car that is ideally less than 15 years old as this is often the cut off period for insurers when a car is considered a classic. The newer the better. A much older car won’t have modern safety & security features that the latest models have. Older cars can increase the risk and price, regardless of insurance group & car value. The top 10 cars that are cheap to insure.
3. Licence Type
Get a full UK licence to reduce cost. Expect a price increase for an EU licence and a significant price increase for an international licence. Insurers are more interested in how experienced you are on UK roads.
4. Provide Your Driving Licence Number
If requested on the quote, supply your driving licence number. This is a price sensitive question and many companies offer a discount for giving these details. It contains 16 characters and begins with letters from your surname.
5. Named Driver
Add a NAMED driver to your policy who is older, experienced and has a clean UK licence. Do NOT add them as the main driver, this is called fronting and is illegal. Also try to avoid adding a named driver with convictions or previous claims. Adding multiple named drivers can sometimes cause the price to increase. What is fronting and how can insurers find out?
6. Mileage
Try to keep your mileage to around 6k-10k miles. The average policyholder in the UK drives around 6,500 miles a year. Too low or too high mileage may cause higher costs but always be honest as stating incorrect mileage may result in your claim being refused or your policy cancelled.
7. Policy Type
Opt for a telematics (Black Box) policy. For young drivers these policies are cheaper than non-telematics policies. However, telematics may get more expensive for older drivers aged 40+.
8. Modifications (mods)
Avoid modifications that affect the car’s performance or add to the aesthetics of the car - these mods will increase your insurance. However, adding security like an alarm, immobiliser or tracking device can help reduce cost. ALL mods must be declared on your policy.
9. Monthly Payments for 17 Year Olds
You need to be 18 to enter into a credit agreement to qualify for monthly payments. If you are 17 then many insurers will not be able to quote for monthly payments. Some providers do have special arrangements for 17-year-olds for monthly payments but not many and the cost may be expensive. The annual payment option often allows more insurers to quote.
10. Pay Annually
Whatever your age, paying annually avoids you paying expensive interest fees as monthly payments are effectively a loan.
11. Credit Rating/Score
Try to maintain a good credit rating as this can affect your ability to be offered monthly instalments. Some insurers may also refuse a quote or increase rates if your credit rating is poor or they cannot verify your details. Check your credit score for FREE here.
12. Quote Timing
Get your quotes around 23 days BEFORE your actual start/renewal date. The closer you get to your start date, the higher the price often is. The best time to buy your car insurance.
13. Voluntary Excess
Increase voluntary excess to lower your quote. But remember that you may need to pay this amount if you have a fault claim. Find a balance you are comfortable with. How to choose the best level of voluntary excess.
14. Quote Changes
Avoid making too many changes to a quote as sometimes prices can increase and some insurers may stop quoting if it's a comparison system. In our tests this seems to be around six changes but it can be different depending on the comparison or the insurer site being used.
Try some or all of these workarounds:
- Create a completely fresh quote
- Clear browser cache
- Clear cookies
- Use a different browser e.g. Safari instead of Chrome
- Use a different device e.g. tablet or pc instead of your phone
- Use an alternative email address
15. Be Honest
Trying to game the system by lying on your quote can end you up in all sorts of trouble. Being dishonest or not declaring information may be considered insurance fraud. These days insurers have sophisticated ways of finding things out including shared national databases and high-tech monitoring. Getting your policy cancelled or being prosecuted can result in you finding it very hard to get cheap cover in the future.
16. Try This Comparison
It analyses rates from over 100+ companies in seconds to find you a cheap price. Click here for a cheap quote.