There are now over 100 car insurance companies trying to attract your business and competition is so strong that in recent years, average premiums have virtually been at a stand still. However, bargains are always available as companies cut their prices to increase their market share in the hope you’ll remain loyal and stick with them in the following years. In fact 23% of us automatically renew our motor insurance each year.

It’s the Internet that’s been the revolution for car insurance. It makes shopping around so easy without the need to make loads of phone calls and thread yourself through the automated phone systems loved by so many call centres.

But remember that the lowest premium does not always give you the best policy for your motoring needs. You need to check out whether a courtesy car is provided if your car were in for repair and what claims excess you’d need to pay. You might also want legal insurance cover and automatic windscreen replacement. The availability of an accident helpline is also very useful when you’re in the middle of an emergency. You’ll need to phone the broker or insurance company you’re proposing to deal with in order to check these points out.

The 17 Top Tips

· Concentrate your Internet shopping on car insurance brokers. Their systems will automatically search for the best quotes from 30 or more insurance companies and save you a lot of time. You can them call them and discuss the relative merits of the top quotes they get for you.
· Make sure your car is garaged at night. Insurers know that cars left on the road are more vulnerable to damage and theft. If you don’t have a garage at least keep it on your drive.
· Make sure your estimate of the mileage you do each year is updated. If you move home or change your job you may have shorter commuting journeys and your premium should drop.
· Your job can influence your premium. Journalists, landlords and footballers all pay more! Go for something a bit more boring! Civil servants and accountants pay less!
· If you’re not married, do so! Married men, particularly under 30 attract lower premiums than their single counterparts.
· If you’re under 25, try adding an older experienced driver as a named driver. But not too old – try to keep to drivers under 60. (Premiums start to rise again after 60!) An experienced driver with a good driving record may help to reduce your premium.
· Offer to pay a higher accident excess. The average is about £100, but some companies are pushing these up in an attempt to offer a lower headline premium. If you increase you claims excess, your premium could well fall significantly.
· If you have an old or cheap car, consider just getting 3rd Party Insurance. Get quotes for comprehensive and 3rd Party and weigh up the savings.
· If you’re aged between 18 and 21, consider pay as you go insurance. Norwich Union has introduced the first pay as you go policy, which charges you for the mileage driven. It charges more for the miles driven between 11pm and 6am. The system works through a GPS black box which is fitted to your car for a one off installation fee of £199. The box tells Norwich Union how far you travel and they send you an invoice every month.
· Take more driving lessons. New drivers can cut their insurance costs by up to 35% by having passed Pass Plus lessons. These provide extra training for night driving, motorway driving and driving in rush hour traffic. Lessons cost between £15 and £30 per hour. (www.passplus.org.uk). Reductions will also be available if you’ve taken a course with the Institute of Advanced Motorists (www.iam.org.uk).
· Check out the insurance group for any car you’re thinking of buying. New cars are categorised in to 20 insurance groups with 1 being the cheapest and 20 the most expensive.
· High performance and high spec cars attract thieves and are more expensive to repair so they always cost more to insure. Consider a car in a lower insurance group.
· Try very hard not to speed! Most insurers will ignore one fixed penalty fine but after that your insurance will rise.
· If you’ve got 4 years no claims discount pay the extra get it protected.
· Get a Thatcham approved engine immobiliser or alarm fitted. It could save you between 5-8%.
· Fit audio satellite navigation. Some insurance companies have found that audio satellite navigation can cut the accident rate by letting drivers concentrate on the road. Insurers will soon give insurance discounts if you have it fitted.
· Got more than one car in the family? Some insurers will give a discount for insuring them all one family policy.

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