Published 27 February 2025
How to get cheaper car insurance
When it comes to insuring your car, every saving counts. The good news is there are some fairly simple steps you can take to shave precious pounds off your premium.
Here are our top tips...
Up your voluntary excess
Your voluntary excess is the amount you agree to pay in the event of a claim. You can set this higher or lower, depending on how much you’re willing to pay.
Increasing your voluntary excess can reduce the overall cost of your premium. Just be careful that you don’t take it too far and risk leaving yourself with a hefty bill you’d struggle to pay.
Add another driver
Depending on their driving history, adding another driver could save you some money. Your premium will be based on the calculated risk of all drivers included on the policy. So, if this is an older, more experienced driver then it could save you money – but younger or less experienced drivers could cost you more.
It’s also a great way of making sure someone else can be the designated driver on an evening out. Just make sure you’re not blurring the lines between main and additional drivers, as this could invalidate your policy. The main driver should be the person who uses the car most often, while a named driver would be someone who uses the car from time to time.
It’s also a great way of making sure someone else can be the designated driver on an evening out. Just make sure you’re not blurring the lines between main and additional drivers, as this could invalidate your policy. The main driver should be the person who uses the car most often, while a named driver would be someone who uses the car from time to time.
Keep your mileage to a minimum
Even if you’re a great driver (and we’re sure you are), the more you drive, the higher the chance you’ll be involved in an accident.
So, if you’re able to trim the number of miles you clock up each year, you could make some savings on the cost of your insurance too. So, when taking out your policy, why not check your MOT for your annual mileage so you’re confident you’ve given us accurate information.
Maybe think about the benefits of car-pooling or getting public transport from time to time. Doing this even just once or twice a week can reduce your overall mileage throughout the year, plus you’ll be doing your bit for the environment. Bonus.
Choose your wheels wisely
The type of car you’re insuring will make a difference to how much you’ll pay for your insurance. Some cars are more expensive to replace or repair than others, while certain models are viewed as higher risk because they’re more frequently involved in claims.
Making modifications to your car can also push up the price of your premium. A modification is any change that alters your car from the manufacturer’s standard specifications and are usually either performance-related or cosmetic.
Changing the engine’s performance can increase the speed of a vehicle, while adding new alloy wheels could make it more attractive to thieves. Both are likely to push up your insurance costs. On the other hand, improving your car’s security could reduce your premium.
Every insurer will group car models into categories based on their respective risk. In the higher, more expensive categories you’ll find sports cars with bigger engines, while smaller cars with good safety features, for example AEB, will fall into the more affordable category.
To save some money, do a bit of research and consider a car that sits in one of the lower insurance categories. To get you started, you can check out our guide to insurance groups.
Select the right occupation
We don’t mean you need to go back to school and start a new path as a NASA rocket scientist, but the type of work you do and the industry you work in could make a difference to the price of your car insurance.
Remember, you need to fill in your quote form accurately to avoid getting into hot water when you come to claim. Your claim could even be invalid if any information entered when you took out the policy turns out to be incorrect – including your occupation.
So, making your car insurance a little cheaper could be easier than you think! Just make sure you’re honest, choose an excess within your means and always remember…. cheaper isn’t always better!
