Comprehensive car insurance

Driving less could make you seem lower risk to insurance providers. Therefore, fewer miles could lead to a cheaper quote.

People typically save £158 on their annual car insurance by adding a named driver to the policy³.

However, don’t be tempted to say that someone is the main driver if they’re not. This is called fronting, and it's a type of insurance fraud.

Insurance providers usually charge interest on monthly instalments, so paying for the whole year upfront could work out cheaper.

In fact, we've seen that people typically pay £500 for annual comprehensive cover, compared with £714 when they pay monthly³.

This is the amount you’ll agree to pay towards a claim. Choosing a higher voluntary excess can bring your premium down.

But you may have compulsory excess as well – not all policies have this, but most do. That’s the amount you have to pay towards a claim, which is set by the provider.

Just be sure you can afford to pay both, should you need to claim.

Cars with smaller, less powerful engines tend to sit in lower insurance groups and are typically cheaper to insure. For example, small cars with a less than 1.0-litre engine cost £532 to insure, while 2.0-2.4 engines cost £680³.

Unsure which group your car is in? Use our quick insurance group checker to find out.

Adding extra security features, such as an immobiliser or steering lock, can lower your risk of theft and potentially bring your premiums down.

Parking on a driveway overnight rather than the street typically saves drivers £247 a year on car insurance⁴.

If you don’t have a driveway, try to park as close to your home as possible, ideally on a well-lit residential road. But if that’s not possible, other safe options could include:

• A private car park if you live in a block of flats and have access to resident parking

• Secure public car parks

• A locked compound.

You can get comprehensive cover with telematics – also known as a black box. It’s a small device or app that tracks your driving style and shares that information with your insurer.

Proving you’re a safe driver could reward you with cheaper insurance when it’s time to renew.

The longer you stay claim-free, the higher your no-claims discount (NCD) will normally get. Providers tend to reward drivers with a big NCD with a lower premium.

According to our data, drivers with six years' NCD typically pay up to £476 less than drivers with just one year⁴.