How to find cheap car insurance

How much does car insurance cost?

Several organisations track car insurance pricing and regularly publish trends. Different calculation methods and publication dates can mean that the average figures don't always align.

While these figures outline what the 'average' person might pay (or be quoted), in real life there isn't an 'average' car insurance customer.

Insurance is personally priced. You might pay more than this because of a range of factors, such as being a young driver, having a more expensive car or a job title that's considered high risk, or driving convictions and past claims.

Your local area's crime and claims numbers also matter, as does whether you park your car on the street or in a garage.

But don't resign yourself to paying above the odds. Here are nine top tips that can help you get a cheaper premium.

1. Don't leave it too late

Buying your insurance days before you want the policy to start is likely to increase prices.

Your current insurer should send a renewal notice around a month before your policy expires, and this is the ideal time to shop around for new cover.

Add a reminder to your diary and contact your insurer if you haven't received a renewal notice. 

Even the time of day you run your quote can affect your premiums – we've found some insurers charge as much as double for customers who shop around in the early hours of the morning.

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2. Comprehensive cover isn't always more expensive

Surely buying less insurance leads to lower prices?

Not in reality. Third-party-only cover – the legal minimum, covering only claims made against you by other people – and third-party, fire and theft cover, aren't always cheaper than comprehensive cover.

This is because insurers often view people buying third-party-only cover as much riskier than those buying comprehensive cover.

Run quotes for both types of cover. Even if comprehensive cover costs a little more, it could save you a huge amount of money if you have an accident.

Also, a word of warning: 'comprehensive' is one of the most misunderstood terms in insurance. We've found that the cover offered by comprehensive policies can contain huge gaps, as our car insurance reviews reveal.

• Find out more: Best car insurance companies in the UK 2026 

3. Compare quotes and comparison sites

To really make the most of comparison sites, you need to try several.

While you'll find a lot of big-name insurers across all the main sites, their panels of insurers vary and, in some cases, the prices do too.

The main price comparison sites for insurance are Compare the Market, Confused.com, GoCompare and MoneySuperMarket. Others include Mustard and Quotezone.  

The first time you get quotes from several sites can feel like a slog, but when you renew, the sites will have your details saved, so you only need a quick review.

Don't forget that some insurers aren't on comparison sites (such as NFU Mutual), while others sell some of their policies only on their own websites, for example, Aviva, Co-op Insurance, Direct Line, Saga and Tesco.

Using multiple comparison sites won't affect your credit rating, as the 'soft searches' aren't visible to other companies. It's only if you apply for policies with monthly payments that a 'hard search' is conducted.

4. Ditch add-ons

Once you've got a list of quotes, it's time to get tough and cut unnecessary extras.

You might be better off buying some of these yourself from other providers, for example in the case of breakdown cover and personal accident cover (consider life insurance instead).

Other add-ons you may be able to live without – such as enhanced courtesy car cover, legal expenses insurance and key cover.

Even if you're intent on keeping some extras, consider that some policies might include these as standard, as our reviews reveal. The more inclusive policy could work out cheaper once add-ons are factored in.

Here are the main types of add-ons:

• Find out more: car insurance add-ons and fees explained

5. Add a named driver

If you're considered a high-risk driver, putting a lower-risk driver on the policy as a 'named' driver can bring the overall premium down.

For instance, drivers under 25, who face the steepest premiums, can benefit from having an older and more experienced driver on their policy.

Bear in mind, however, that it's illegal to put someone down as the main driver if this isn't the case. This practice is known as 'fronting' and is a type of insurance fraud that can lead to your policy being invalidated.

6. Consider a black box or telematics policy

Some of the cheaper policies you might see involve a 'black box' device being added to your car, or use an app on your phone (telematics policies), so the insurer can track your driving.

While you might associate these with younger drivers, they're worth considering whatever your age.

If your day-to-day driving passes certain criteria laid out by the insurer (ranging from not driving at specific times of the day to measurements of your safety in cornering and braking), you'll be rewarded with discounts on your premium.

A black box or telematics 'pay-per-mile' policy could also save you money if you drive significantly less than the national average mileage (7,000 miles a year, according to the Department for Transport).

You may be able to estimate your mileage based on your MOT certificate or by checking the MOT history of a vehicle online.

If you need access to a car for only a short time, consider getting temporary car insurance or a policy with a rolling monthly contract that can be cancelled without incurring significant fees.

• Find out more: black box car insurance for low-mileage drivers

7. Double-check cheap quotes

So you've found a quote much cheaper than the rest. But is there a catch?

• Sometimes a great price can be explained on closer inspection by a steep excess (what you have to pay when you claim). You can amend what's called a 'voluntary' excess when running the quote, but many insurers also include a 'compulsory' excess, too. 
• Even if the insurer is familiar, it's possible that the policy it offers on a particular comparison site has lower levels of cover – weigh that up against the price. Our car insurance reviews distinguish between these policies.
• Factor in the costs of add-ons and the potential costs of fees – see our comparison of insurers' fees.

When you click through to an insurer's site, you'll be asked to agree to a set of 'assumptions'. This is information about you that's assumed to be correct, that you haven't provided via the comparison site.

Check this carefully. If any of it is inaccurate, your quote could be incorrect.

8. Pay annually rather than monthly

Insurers will give you the option to pay for your cover in two ways: as a lump sum or in monthly instalments. 

While paying monthly might seem like a sensible way of spreading the cost, you may actually be charged hundreds of pounds more over the year.

By paying in monthly instalments, you are, in effect, taking out a loan from your insurer. Most will charge you interest for it, and rates aren't cheap – in some cases more than 30% APR. 

If paying monthly is your only real option, be sure to compare insurers' monthly, rather than annual, premiums when shopping around. Or you could consider paying using an 0% purchase credit card.

• Find out more: our campaign to reduce the cost of pay-monthly insurance

9. Haggle with your existing insurer

Before you buy cover, give your existing insurer a call and ask it to beat the other quotes you've found.

Surveys we've run over the years have shown that haggling does work and can save you hundreds of pounds – not bad for a few awkward minutes on the phone.

Try these tactics to maximise your chances of success:

Watch out for 'ghost brokers'

Ghost brokers are scammers posing as car insurance brokers, and they can be found thriving on social media platforms. A Which? investigation in 2022 found 36 social media profiles – operating across three websites – that touted cheap insurance and appeared to be run by scammers.  

Ghost brokers claim to be able to arrange cheap cover for hard-to-insure customers. However, to do this, they will secretly manipulate their customers’ details by, for instance, changing addresses and driving histories, and adding named drivers.

Victims will sometimes be provided with doctored documents to mask the amendments. The resulting policy looks fine to start with, but it will be worthless if the driver tries to claim. 

• Insurance brokers should be regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). The Financial Services Register lists details of all firms, individuals and other bodies that are currently regulated by the FCA.
• You can also check if your policy is listed on the Motor Insurance Database. This records the policy details of all vehicles insured in the UK – if your vehicle isn't listed, check with your insurer, as it's possible your car isn't properly insured.

If you’ve received suspicious correspondence from an insurer, let the insurer know as soon as possible using contact details you have verified independently. It’s also worth keeping a close eye on your credit report. This will allow you to pick up on any searches by companies you don’t recognise, which could indicate a fraudulent application made in your name.

If you think you’ve been the victim of any type of fraud, contact the police. Take photographs, make sketches and gather documentation or any other details that might be useful to an investigation.

• Find out more: what to do if you're a victim of identity theft

Long-term ways to get cheap car insurance

Got more questions on car insurance? Take a look at our guides:

• Best car insurance companies
• Making a car insurance claim
• Car insurance no-claims bonus explained
• Car insurance: add-ons, fees and charges explained
• Modified car insurance explained
• Electric car insurance explained
• How black box car insurance works
• Learner driver insurance explained
• Temporary car insurance explained
• Multi-car insurance guide
• Gap insurance explained
• How to insure a classic car
• Car insurance for young drivers