Car insurance

Most car insurance quotes are valid for up to 30 days, although the exact timeframe varies by insurer. You’ll usually find the expiry date on your quote or confirmation email.

MoneySuperMarket can save your quotes so you can revisit them later, but the price isn’t guaranteed to stay the same.

Insurance quotes can change for several reasons, including:

• Timing: prices often rise the closer you get to your renewal date, as insurers see last-minute buyers as a higher risk.

• Market factors: changes in repair costs, claims trends or inflation can affect overall pricing.

• Personal details: even small updates — like a new address, job title or added driver — can alter your quote.

If you spot a quote you’re happy with, it’s usually best to secure it sooner rather than later to lock in the price. The cheapest time to buy car insurance is 28^{^} days before your policy renews, on average.

Car insurance helps protect you financially if something happens to your car - whether it’s damaged in an accident, stolen, or affected by fire. It’s designed to give you peace of mind on the road, knowing you’re covered if things don’t go to plan.

There are three main levels of cover to choose from:

• Third-party - covers damage or injury you cause to other people or their vehicles

• Third-party, fire and theft - includes third-party cover, plus protection if your car is stolen or damaged by fire

• Comprehensive - the highest level of cover, which includes everything third party and third party, fire and theft covers but also pays for repairs to your own car, even if an accident was your fault

Car insurance policies usually exclude things like wear and tear, mechanical failure, or damage that happens through general use.

Most also won’t cover you if you’re driving without a licence or without valid insurance, using your car for business when you’re not insured for it, or if the damage was caused deliberately or while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Yes, you can usually add one or more named drivers to an insurance policy alongside the main driver. How many named driver you can add depends on the insurer, but 3 is a common maximum.

The main driver must be the person who uses the vehicle the most. If a named driver drives more, you will be committing a type of car insurance fraud called fronting.

Named drivers get the same level of cover as the main driver. Adding them can increase or reduce the cost of your premium depending on their age, driving experience and claims history. For instance, a younger driver might lower their insurance costs by adding a parent as a named driver.

If you’d prefer for anyone to be able to drive your car, you can choose an any-driver policy. These tend to be more expensive because the insurer can’t predict who’ll be behind the wheel. This type of cover - particularly any driver van insurance - is often useful for businesses. For example, tradespeople who share a van among several employees.

Not usually. Most car insurance policies don’t automatically cover you to drive someone else’s car, but some comprehensive policies include driving other cars (DOC) cover as an extra feature.

If your policy includes DOC cover, it normally provides third-party only protection. This means you’ll be covered for any damage you cause to another vehicle or property, but not for damage to the car you’re driving.

DOC cover often comes with strict conditions. You’ll usually need to:

• Be over 25

• Hold a full UK driving licence

• Have the car owner’s permission to drive it

If you often drive a family member’s car, there are safer and often cheaper options than relying on DOC cover. You could:

• Be added as a named driver on their policy - this gives you the same level of cover as the main driver when using the car.

• Consider a multicar insurance policy if your household has more than one car. This allows you to insure several vehicles under one policy, often with a discount on each premium.

Always check your policy documents or speak to your insurer before driving another car. Driving without valid cover is illegal. You could be fined, receive a driving ban, and have you car impounded.

Excess is the amount you agree to pay towards any car insurance claim. It’s a fixed sum that appears in your policy documents and applies each time you make a claim.

There are two types of car insurance excess:

• Compulsory excess - set by your insurer. This is the minimum amount you must pay if you make a claim.

• Voluntary excess - chosen by you. Setting a higher voluntary excess can lower your premium, but you’ll pay more if you need to claim.

For example, if your policy has a compulsory excess of £200 and a voluntary excess of £100, you’d pay £300 towards any claim. So, if you made a claim for £1,000 of damage, your insurer would cover the remaining £700.

If you're worried about affording your excess, you can take out excess insurance, which will cover the cost for you.

💡 Top tip: If the cost of repairs is less than, or only slightly above, your excess, it may not be worth making a claim. Keeping your no-claims discount could save you more money over time.

Paying your car insurance annually is almost always cheaper than paying monthly. Our data shows you could save up to 31%^{^} on your car insurance premiums - that’s as much as £267^{^} - by paying for the year upfront.

Monthly payments cost more because insurers usually add interest or admin fees. They can still be helpful if you want to spread the cost, but they work like a credit agreement, so your insurer will carry out a hard credit check to confirm you can afford it.

💡 Top tip: You can check your credit score for free with MoneySuperMarket. It’s a soft credit check, so it won’t affect your score, and it can help you see how likely you are to be accepted for monthly payments.

Your job can affect how much you pay for car insurance because insurers use your occupation and industry to assess risk. If your job involves lots of driving or has a higher likelihood of claims, you’ll usually pay more than someone in a lower-risk role.

Insurers set premiums based on claims data for different professions. For example, teachers, accountants and office administrators are often seen as lower risk because they tend to drive fewer miles and keep regular hours. In contrast, delivery drivers, journalists and construction workers are considered higher risk as they may drive more frequently or at busier times of day.

When you apply for cover, you’ll usually pick your job title from a standard list. You need to be truthful about your work because providing inaccurate information could invalidate your policy or lead to a rejected claim.

However. the job title on your car insurance doesn’t need to match your role exactly, and sometimes selecting a slightly different job title can get you a cheaper premium. For example, a "journalist" pays an average price of £564.33^{^} for comprehensive car insurance but a "writer" pays £681.13^{^} .

💡 Top tip: You can use our job picker tool to help find the best match for your role and see how different job titles might change your quote. It’s a quick and easy way to make sure your job is described accurately when comparing car insurance deals.

No, electric cars aren’t automatically cheaper to insure. The cost depends on the make and model, the cost of repairs, and the insurer’s own data on claims.

MoneySuperMarket data shows that the average cost of comprehensive car insurance for electric vehicles is £569^{^} . That compares to £532^{^} for diesel cars and£499^{^} for petrol ones.

Electric cars can sometimes be more expensive to insure because:

• Parts and batteries can cost more to replace or repair.

• Fewer garages are currently equipped to carry out electric vehicle (EV) repairs.

• They often fall into higher insurance groups due to their value or performance.

However, premiums are gradually becoming more competitive as electric vehicles become more common. Some insurers also offer discounts for EVs, recognising their lower emissions and running costs.

You can compare electric car insurance quotes on MoneySuperMarket to see how different models and insurers stack up - helping you find the right cover at the best price.

Older cars can sometimes be cheaper to insure, but it depends on their age, condition and the features they have. If an older car lacks modern safety technology or parts are hard to find, insurers may see it as a higher risk, which can push up premiums.

Newer cars often cost more to insure because they’re worth more and repairs can be expensive, especially for high-tech models. However, some small, low-emission cars – including hybrids and electric vehicles – fall into lower insurance groups, which can help keep costs down.

Your car insurance can be invalidated if your insurer finds that the information you provided was wrong or misleading, or if you break the terms of your policy. This means your insurer could refuse to pay out for a claim, leaving you personally responsible for any costs.

Common reasons you could end up with invalidated car insurance include:

• Giving incorrect details - such as your address, job title, or where the car is parked overnight.

• Not updating your insurer when your circumstances change, for example moving house or changing jobs.

• Under-estimating your mileage or describing your car’s use incorrectly (e.g. saying it’s for social use only when you drive for work).

• Letting someone not listed on your policy drive your car without proper cover.

• Modifying your vehicle without telling your insurer.

• Driving without a valid MOT or tax, or using your car in unsafe condition.

• Fronting - naming someone else as the main driver when you’re the one using the car most often.

To stay protected, always give honest, up-to-date information when buying or renewing your policy. It’s better to double-check small details than risk having your cover cancelled when you need it most.