When the time comes to renew the insurance for your vehicle, there really aren’t that many benefits to sticking around and being loyal to the company that you are already with.
In most cases, you can get a much better deal and save a lot of money by switching to a different insurer, so it definitely pays to shop around in advance. Whether you are insuring a car or a van, there are several things that you can do to bring this necessary cost down. While not insuring your vehicle is against the law, there are some perfectly legal things that you can do to ensure that you’re not paying any more than necessary.
Shop Around
First of all, the best way to make sure that you’re getting the best deal on a car or van insurance policy is to shop around. You can use Quotezone to compare van insurance quotes that are relevant to you by simply entering details about yourself and your vehicle. Shopping around using a comparison site gives you the chance to see all the prices available and choose the best one for your needs. It gives you a chance to find out if there are better offers available compared to your current insurance provider’s renewal quote.
Drive Less
Do you sometimes use your vehicle unnecessarily? If so, you could be adding miles on that are causing your insurance policy to be more expensive than it needs to be. It’s always convenient to be able to use the car or van for short journeys; however, are you increasing your vehicle’s running costs unnessarily? Cutting out shorter journeys and walking or cycling instead can make a huge difference to your yearly mileage and as a result, you will save money on your car insurance, since fewer miles mean less risk of an accident. And, not only is driving less great for the environment, but you’ll also save money elsewhere – for example, you won’t need to fill up your tank with fuel as often.
Fit a Dashcam
Some car insurance providers will offer you a discount if you have a dashcam fitted to your vehicle. A dashcam can be a handy piece of kit to have, and the good news is that you can get many inexpensive models that work just fine. A dashcam will certainly make any future insurance claims that you make much easier by proving who was at fault and showing the insurance company video footage of what happened. Many dashcams continue working even when your car is parked, and some can be connected to the internet, making it easier for you to track down the identity of the thieves if your car is stolen.
Ensure Your Details are Correct
Make sure that all your details are correct when putting in information to get your insurance quotes. It can be easy to estimate things such as how many miles you drive in a year, but the truth is that even a couple of thousand miles more or less can make a difference to how much you pay. If you’re overestimating your mileage, you could be paying more than you need. A good way to figure out exactly how many miles you drive in a year is to compare the difference between the mileage recorded at your last two MOTs.
Add a Named Driver
If you are happy to share your car with another family member or friend, adding a more experienced named driver to your policy could help to bring the price down. This is a common solution for younger, new drivers who will often find that allowing a parent or more experienced partner to drive their car helps them to save money on car insurance. However, you should always ensure that the named driver is actually somebody who is driving the car less. If the named driver is actually the main driver of the car, this is known as fronting and is illegal.
Choose Your Car Wisely
If you’re in the market for a new car and will need a new insurance policy to go with it, it’s a good idea to look at the insurance bands for each car that you are interested in purchasing. Some cars are much cheaper to insure than others and this depends on a number of factors, such as the engine size and the safety features. A modern car with several safety features such as parking sensors and automatic braking will typically have a lower risk of being involved in a collision compared to older cars without these features, and as a result, your insurance policy will be cheaper.
Whether you’re buying a new vehicle and will need a new insurance policy, or you need to renew your current insurance for the year, taking these steps can help you ensure that you’re getting the best price.