As a versatile, reliable workhorse, it's little wonder that the family car is difficult to insure cheaply.
Frequently notching up a high mileage, the excellent performance and significant power such vehicles often possess results in soaring premium prices. The backbone of the household’s transport options, with much of the driving being undertaken during peak hours or in high risk conditions, the main vehicle has to fulfil a wide range of functions successfully. If it’s coming round to the time when your cover is due for renewal, how can you obtain a cut price policy which still gives you all the protection you need? We’ve identified some top tips to slash your premium price when it comes to a suitable motoring policy.
Buying cheap family car insurance
Consider Addons
Although the usual advice when insuring a car is to strip out all the non-essential options in order to reduce the premium, this isn’t wise advice when it comes to the main car in the household. Frequently used for holiday trips abroad, long journeys or as a commuting vehicle, appropriate breakdown cover, the use of a suitable courtesy car and child seat cover may well be sensible types of protection to take out. By using savvy search techniques, it’s often possible to get these extras included without paying more than your standard premium price.
Be careful who you put on your policy.
The main driver of larger, more powerful cars tends to be an experienced motorist who takes advantage of their years behind the wheel and significant No Claims Discount (NCD) to obtain relatively low cost cover. As your offspring grow up, it can seem tempting to add them as newly qualified children to your policy, or perhaps include another adult who is only an occasional driver. Be aware that not only can a less experienced second driver bump up your premium significantly, but it’s also illegal to put down a new driver as a second driver on your policy in an effort to minimise the premiums they pay (known as fronting). Except in exceptional circumstances, it’s normally cheapest in the long term to set new drivers up with their own insurance policies and keep your main car cover separate.