Buying a dream car? Don’t forget the insurance

On Thursday 1st September, new 55- registration plates will be issued and many people will gear up to buy a new car.

Norwich and Peterborough Insurance Brokers (NPIB) has come up with some tips to make sure sorting out your car insurance isn’t a nightmare.

Every year Britons spend hours online and ringing around insurers to get the best deal. NPIB offers the following top tips which could bring down motor insurance costs and help buy a policy that best suits drivers’ needs.

Most insurers offer a discount if your annual mileage is less than 8,000 - work out how many miles you do and tell your insurer. Hopefully you’ll get a pleasant surprise at how much cheaper the policy is. For example, a quote for any driver aged over 25 with mileage of 8,000 costs £399 compared to £518 for unlimited miles – a saving of £119.

To insure your car for "any driver" is expensive. Naming any additional drivers will reduce the premium. The premium of £399 could be reduced further to £220 if driving was restricted to the policyholder and spouse – a further saving of £179.

If you’ve just passed your test, book in for a "Pass Plus" exam with the DVLA. By passing this, your first year’s premiums should be significantly reduced. For example, a 27 year old female who has just passed her test, has no ‘no claims bonus’ and drives 8,000 miles a year would pay a whopping £1,200 without Pass Plus but £792 with it - a saving of over £400!

If you’ve just passed your test adding a named, older, experienced driver to your policy may reduce the premium by around £74.

If you drive to Europe choose an insurer that automatically covers you abroad. Many insurers don’t automatically cover for driving in Europe so this could cost you, on average, an additional £15 per week.

If you’ve earned your "no claims" bonus, pay the 10% (on average cost) extra to have your bonus protected against loss. In the event of an accident you’ll be grateful you did.

Steve Kendall, personal lines director at NPIB, said: "It’s not always about reducing the cost, it’s often beneficial to pay that little bit extra in order to save yourself money in the event of a claim. For example it’s worth checking the difference in price between comprehensive cover and third party fire and theft. The difference can be small, but you’re covered for more.

"Our tips are designed to help get the lowest price without the loss of cover. My biggest tip to reduce the cost would be to use an established insurance brokerage such as NPIB! We will search the market to find you the best deal, which could save your phone bill and the amount you pay."