How to get cheaper
car insurance.

The short version

• Buy about three to four weeks before your policy starts. Comparison sites’ own data shows buying at the last minute costs more.
• Try more than one comparison site, and get a quote from an insurer or two direct: some aren’t on comparison sites at all.
• Don’t just let it renew. Your insurer can’t charge you more than a new customer, but another insurer may still be cheaper.
• Pay for the year in one go if you can. Paying monthly usually means paying interest.
• Give true details, every time. Fronting, a lower mileage or the wrong address can leave you with no cover when you need it.

When to buy: about three to four weeks before

The price of the same cover changes with how far ahead you buy it. Comparison sites have looked at their own sales, and they agree on the shape: buying at the last minute costs more, and about three to four weeks ahead is cheapest.

• MoneySuperMarket, policies it sold from July to September 2026: the cheapest day was 26 days before the policy started, at a median of £388 a year, against £700 for policies bought on the day. Prices were higher again for policies bought 30 or more days ahead.
• Go.Compare, fully comprehensive policies it sold in 2024: buying 21 to 28 days before renewal gave the best savings, and 26 days before cost £390, £164 less than buying on the renewal day.

These are the comparison sites’ own figures from their own customers, not a promise for your quote. Which? gives the same advice: premiums are cheapest if you renew several weeks in advance.

Use more than one comparison site, and check direct

There are several comparison sites for car insurance, such as Compare the Market, Confused.com, Go.Compare, MoneySuperMarket and Quotezone. Which? says: “To really make the most of comparison sites, you need to try several.” Using several won’t affect your credit rating: the soft searches they use aren’t visible to other companies.

Some insurers aren’t on comparison sites at all. Which? found in January 2026 that NFU Mutual sells car insurance only by phone and isn’t on comparison sites, and that Aviva, Co-op Insurance, Direct Line, Saga and Tesco Insurance sell different policies depending on where you buy. So get a quote direct from one or two as well.

Don’t just let it renew

Since 1 January 2022, the Financial Conduct Authority’s rules have banned insurers from quoting you more to renew than they would charge an equivalent new customer who bought the same way. The same rules made it easier to cancel automatic renewal.

That stops your own insurer charging you more for staying, but it doesn’t make it the cheapest. In the FCA’s words: “You can still shop around and negotiate a better deal.”

Pay for the year in one go if you can

Paying monthly is, in effect, taking out a loan from your insurer, says Which?, and it can cost hundreds of pounds more over the year. The FCA found monthly payments were used for around 48% of motor and home policies in 2023, and that policies on comparison sites typically charged interest of 4% to 13% of the premium, around 10% to 35% APR.

Honest ways to bring the price down

• Choose your excess carefully. You can raise the voluntary excess when you get a quote, and many insurers add a compulsory excess too. It’s what you pay yourself if you claim, so only choose an amount you could pay.
• Give your real mileage. If you drive much less than average, Which? says a pay-per-mile policy could save you money.
• Security and parking. An alarm, tracker or immobiliser, especially one approved by Thatcham, can help, and so can where the car is kept overnight: a garage rather than the street.
• A genuine named driver. Adding a lower-risk driver who really does drive the car, such as a parent for a young driver, can bring the price down.
• A black box. Telematics insurance prices you on how you drive, and Which? says it suits younger, older and infrequent drivers. Consumer Intelligence data from late 2025, quoted by Which?, found black box quotes were cheaper 42% of the time, with average savings of £228. Drive badly and the price can go up, or the cover can be cancelled.
• Know what no-claims protection does. It lets you make a limited number of claims without losing your no-claims discount, but your insurer can still raise your premium after a claim.
• Only pay for cover you need, and check what extras are in the quote. A multi-car policy isn’t necessarily cheaper (Which? suggests comparing it with separate quotes), and cashback sites won’t necessarily give you the best-value deal, even with the cashback.

What not to do

• Fronting. Putting someone down as the main driver when they aren’t, for example a parent for a young driver’s car, is a type of insurance fraud and a criminal offence, and can lead to the policy being invalidated.
• Wrong details to get a lower price. A lower mileage than you’ll really do, an address where the car isn’t kept, a job you don’t do, or leaving out claims or convictions. The law says you must take reasonable care not to give false information. If it’s deliberate or reckless, the insurer can cancel the policy as if it never existed, refuse every claim and keep what you’ve paid. Even a careless mistake can mean a claim is paid only in part.
• Not telling your insurer about changes to the car. If you modify it, your insurer needs to know: not telling it could invalidate your insurance. Even new alloy wheels can count.
• Buying from a ghost broker. The FCA warns about criminals who sell fake or invalid policies at cheap prices, often through social media and messaging apps, and ask for a bank transfer. Check a broker or insurer on the FCA’s Firm Checker and only contact them using the details it gives.
• Letting the cover lapse. You must have at least third party insurance to drive on UK roads. The police can give a £300 fixed penalty and 6 penalty points for driving uninsured, and a car that’s off the road needs a SORN, or it must still be insured.

Selling your car?

Once your car is sold, tell your insurer, so you can move the cover to your next car or cancel the policy.

Questions people ask

Sources

• Which?: how to find cheap car insurance (30 July 2026)
• Which?: the best car insurance policies you won’t find on comparison sites (27 January 2026)
• MoneySuperMarket: when to renew your car insurance (policies sold July to September 2026)
• Go.Compare: the best time to buy your car insurance (13 March 2025)
• FCA: new year delivers fairer home and motor insurance renewals (30 December 2021)
• FCA: PS21/5 general insurance pricing practices (May 2021)
• FCA: premium finance market study MS24/2, final report (February 2026)
• Which?: how black box car insurance works (22 January 2026)
• Which?: car insurance for young drivers (30 January 2026)
• Which?: car insurance no-claims bonuses explained (22 January 2026)
• Which?: modified car insurance (22 January 2026)
• Consumer Insurance (Disclosure and Representations) Act 2012
• FCA: insurance and warranty scams (updated 19 May 2026)
• GOV.UK: vehicle insurance
• GOV.UK: driving without insurance
• GOV.UK: uninsured vehicles

General information, not advice about your own policy. Every figure is from the source named next to it, checked on 6 November 2026. Comparison sites’ figures come from their own sales and may not match your quote.

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