Media post: 4 easy ways to save on your car insurance

Whether you’ve splashed out on a shiny new motor or are puttering along in a much-loved family ride, you want to get the best deal on your car insurance.

It’s an essential cost for drivers but it shouldn’t break your budget. If you follow these tips to cut costs on car insurance, you’ll be driving away with more in your pocket.

Look out for easy discounts

A simple move often yields the greatest results. Depending on your provider and policy type, there are a huge range of car insurance discounts you can take advantage of – sometimes without even trying. These include:

Apply online discounts. Do you know how to use the internet? That’s really the only criteria you need to satisfy to access this discount. Many insurers will offer a significant reduction on your first year’s premium if you get a quote or apply for a car insurance policy online. It’s all about efficiency and reducing the resources needed to process your application.

Multi-policy or bundled discounts. You can nab a discount by holding more than one insurance policy with the same provider. This is great for households with multiple cars, or if you also hold other kinds of policies like home and contents insurance or life insurance.

Loyalty bonuses. If you’ve stuck with the same brand for yonks, you might be entitled to a loyalty bonus. These discounts usually increase as you rack up more years with your insurer, and will often kick in automatically, so you don’t need to lift a finger to start reaping the benefits.

No claims bonus. This is a reward for safe drivers who aren’t claiming on their car insurance regularly. Again, this can sometimes be discounted automatically and can increase over time. If you do get into a scrape, you might lose the no claims bonus, but many providers will let you build it back up again.

Compare and haggle, or switch for a better deal

You may not automatically assume car insurance is something you can haggle on, but it definitely can be. By putting on your negotiator’s hat and driving gloves, you can often knock a solid figure off your car insurance bill.

The trick is to do your research and have a handful of better value quotes before you ask for a price reduction from your current provider. If they still won’t budge and your renewal is coming up, consider switching to a more affordable or flexible policy.

Opt for pay-as-you-drive car insurance

You might know this flexible car insurance feature as pay-per-kilometre or low-mileage car insurance. But whatever name you give it, pay-as-you-drive cover is a fantastic lower-cost option for people who drive less.

It’s pretty much what it says on the tin: a car insurance premium tied to how far you drive within your policy period.

Generally, the insurer will set a distance limit – or you’ll negotiate one – that’s lower than the average driver, and you’ll have to stay under it to access a better rate on your car insurance. If you do find your odometer creeping over that number, there’s often the option to increase the limit, although this sometimes comes at an additional cost.

Lock up your wheels in a garage

It almost seems too simple but where your car sleeps at night can impact your insurance costs. Just like in The Adventures of Brum, your wheels are safer if they’re locked up overnight than if they were out on the streets.

So, if you’ve got a garage or secure parking spot, clean it out and park your motor in it – you could be rewarded with a lower premium.