Massive Car insurance costs?

[MatsyLR]

Just seeing if I'm going mad here.
Been driving 2 years, no points. 32 years old.
Last year's insurance was £610 on Hastings Premier.

Just looking at quotes and the same plan on compare the market is £864? what on earth is going on??? Can't get it below 850 no matter what I do or where I look.

I know prices have went up, but not by almost 50%.

 

[MatsyLR]

Will be waiting for the renewal quote from Hastings to see what they offer :/

 

[MatsyLR]

Anyone heard of Aviva Zero? By far the cheapest option atm around 600 instead of 900 for the same type of cover.

Just cannot see what the catch is with aviva zero. Just seems to be something to do with carbon zero tax benefits.

 

[MatsyLR]

Surely the name implies it comes with no extras? No courtesy car, no legal cover, no windscreen cover, just your basic fully comp cover? No frills.

Has everything. The zero is something to do with carbon zero. They get grants I guess for something and tax right offs.

Going to call tomorrow to question what it means properly as the way they explain it on the website isn't exactly clear .

 

[MatsyLR]

I saw that, was a pretty cheap option for me too. I had no option to pay monthly though so it was all up front or nothing.

Yeah they only have a annual payment option which is what I would do anyway. Just not sure why it's so cheap compared to everyone else.

 

[MatsyLR]

Oh yeah also worth adding a parent or family member with long driving experience as a named driver too as I found that reduces the premium by an additional amount which varies between insurers. Usually this method is aimed at younger drivers who can benefit from having a named driver on the policy, but it works whatever your age too. Just make sure the named main driver is you, not the additional named driver, otherwise that counts as fronting, which is illegal.

Think I saved £50 this way.

Edit*
Realised I only tried moneysupermarket and GoCompare in the past and that's what I went with, so just registered to Comparethemarket and did a quote check to then get some interesting results when refreshing both: My renewal isn't until next year so this is purely a test for curiosity.

GoCompare: £385 is the cheapest quote via Sterling
CompareTheMarket: £316 also via Sterling

Both have the same details yet the same insurer lists a cheaper quote with one comparison site over another. So looks like it's best to use multiple comparison sites.... What faff.

Go compare has the £250 free excess thing. Have to factor that in. Go compare cheapest one I can go for similar to my current £600 is £880. On compare the market I have access to Aviva zero which seems to be the same kind of plan I'm currently on at £600-£620

21 days is very soon for me so waiting to see if Hastings will do anything when I call them.

 

[MatsyLR]

I think everyone is feeling this at the moment

Ended up going with by by miles for £538.97 with 4k miles. You get refunded for any miles you don't do. Cover cost £186.97 then £352 for 4k miles

Renewed in June and I'm not even a 800 miles yet (I drive very short distances) looking to get around £200-250 in refunds once it expires for miles not used.

Amazing if your a low mileage driver

 

[MatsyLR]

Renewal is due in 30 days, with bymiles at the moment as I don't drive much.

Last year I paid £538.97. £126.99 fixed cost then 8.8p per mile (4000 miles). £60 for breakdown, legal etc included.
Will be due a refund of around £220 from the app as I have used hardly any miles. Makes overall for the year £320.

Renewal just came through
Fixed cost £112.44
16.3p per mile estimate 1380 miles based on this year
Total £397.36
If I want 4000 miles it's £750

New customers are being offered 9.2p per mile with an estimate of £470 for 4000 miles. However if you are already with them they block new registrations you have to let your contract end first then get a quote and be with out cover while a new cover is processed. Even if you did that you'd have to be without cover for a day, start your new cover for the day after increasing premiums as your doing it quick start policy instead of 21 days.

Aviva zero (who I was going to go with last year until I found bymiles) is offering £465 exactly the same cover with 8000 miles (for some reason 8000 is less than 4000-7000) on the 21 day renewal sweet spot.
Get the gocompare £250 free excess and topcashback on top of that for new policies.

What a joke, why do they screw over existing customers.
Will call them on Monday but likely going with aviva zero as I want the £250 free excess like every year and may end up doing more miles.

Maybe I'm dumb but why wouldn't you do a new quote through gocompare for the £250 excess every single time? I see people accepting renewal quotes in here (after calling to make them reduce costs)