PENNY SQUEEZING
‘Ideal window’ to save on car insurance revealed as ‘optimal time’ before renewal could save drivers £100s
The hack was backed by consumer champion Martin Lewis
A CAR insurance expert has revealed the "ideal window" in which to renew your policy and save hundreds while you're at it.
Connor Campbell, from , urged Brits not to make a simple error which could see them overpaying for their coverage.
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The latest research shows that millions of drivers could be losing out by letting their insurance auto-renew each year.
Auto-renewals take away the customer's bargaining power as you aren't able to shop around for the best possible deal.
Instead, you should always try and renew your policy early - and Connor revealed exactly when to do so to see the biggest savings.
He said: "The reason auto-renewals are so high could come down to many factors.
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"It’s not necessarily that people aren’t exploring renewal options – it could be more so that the time in which they are searching isn’t optimal for finding the best deals.
"The ideal window for renewing car insurance is between one month and three weeks before renewal, as it can provide cheaper quotes all around.
"If you were to leave this until closer to renewal, you could find a dramatic increase in cost."
Eight tips to save money on car insurance
According to SheTalksCars
- Buy in advance - 23 to 26 days before you need cover is the sweet spot
- Add a named driver - even a learner can knock money off
- Try different parking places - a garage isn't always cheaper
- Choose the right job title - make sure they are always accurate
- Shop around - comparison websites are your friend
- Pick a multi-car policy - share it with others in your household
- Add your licence number
- Pay annually rather than monthly - save yourself interest payments
Connor explained that the spike in premiums could be down to the fact that early renewers are seen as more responsible drivers and, therefore, a lower risk to insurance companies.
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He added: "The increase in costs can be a result of car insurance providers trying to catch out customers who may have left their renewals until last minute.
"Similarly, providers may see you as a less responsible driver if you look to renew with only a day or two left on your premium, therefore pushing up the price of your cover.
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"You may also fall afoul of changes in the market naturally driving car insurance prices higher."
The money-saving trick was previously backed by consumer champion Martin Lewis.
Indeed, Martin gave an even more specific window, with his research finding that 23 days was the optimal time to get the lowest average cost.
And he revealed that renewing on that date could save you around £400 a year compared to doing so on expiry day.
That's the sweet spot
Martin Lewis
Martin told viewers on his ITV show: "If you are near your renewal, getting quotes three weeks before may halve the cost.
"We ran 18 million quotes, it starts to drop at around 30 days, you get into the sweet spot around three to four weeks before.
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"It bottoms out on average at day 23, and then the prices just start to rise and rise and rise.
"Everyone needs to get in their diary that 23 days before renewal because that's the sweet spot."
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