Three quarters of Brits have taken steps to reduce their motoring costs this year as the credit crunch takes its toll. However, this doesn’t mean cutting back on the level of car insurance cover you have in place – there are other ways to crunch your costs.
A survey by Saga car insurance shows that rather than compromising on essential cover Brits are taking other steps to reduce their driving costs and saving an average of £17 a week. Steps include reducing the number of miles they drive each week, searching for cheaper fuel and taking more care over car maintenance to ensure maximum fuel efficiency.
However, one step that is often overlooked by motorists is saving on car insurance itself – many drivers accept renewal quotes every year from their insurer and assume that if they have built up a no-claims discount their existing policy will remain the cheapest.
In fact, most insurers offer their cheapest deals to new customers in a bid to attract business. Most of the leading deals are also offered on the Internet where companies can save on overheads. So if you haven’t changed to a new car insurance deal online in the last year it could be worth using a comparison website and seeing what deals you can find.
You don’t even have to switch car insurance providers to save money. Most insurers will offer discounts if you stay accident and conviction free, and if you reduce your risk level. So contact your insurer and ask if there are any discounts available and the steps you need to take to achieve premium reductions.
For example, most insurers cut their charges if you boost your car’s security with alarms, immobilisers or by parking in a garage at night. Agreeing to a mileage limit can also help you save, as can taking an advanced driver’s course or increasing your voluntary excess.
Though it’s not advisable to cut your car insurance cover to save money, you could evaluate which cover options you really need. You won’t find cheap car insurance if you are paying for business use of a car for example, when you only need it for commuting – so make sure you’re only paying for what you need.
Hypermiling on a highway commute
