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What impact does mileage have on car insurance premiums? 

Sarah Tooze
Written by  Sarah Tooze
Updated: 27 Jun 2024

Higher mileage generally means higher premiums. But how much more should you expect to pay?

Key takeaways

  • High-mileage drivers (over 20,000 miles/year) pay more due to higher accident risk

  • High-mileage drivers pay around £80/month, while very low-mileage drivers (under 2,000 miles/year) pay about £59/month.

  • Electric vehicle premiums are cheapest at 6,000-9,999 miles/year, averaging £69/month

  • Young drivers (under 23) pay the highest premiums, averaging £149/month

Are you driving less post-Covid? With the rise of hybrid and home working, most people are clocking up 700 fewer miles a year (6,500 in 2022 versus 7,200 in 2019), according to Department for Transport statistics.1 So what does that mean for your car insurance premium?  

How mileage affects car insurance 

As a rule of thumb, if you’re a high-mileage driver (driving, say, more than 20,000 miles a year), you’ll pay more for your car insurance. That’s because the more time you spend on the road the more likely you are to be involved in an accident, which means there is a greater likelihood your insurer will need to pay out.  

However, mileage is only one factor which determines how much your car insurance premium is - your age, where you live, your job, your claims history and the car you drive all affect the price you pay.  

12,000-13,999 miles is point at which drivers pay the least 

Our data shows that the average insurance premium price for high-mileage drivers (above 20,000 miles per year) is £80 per month compared to £59 per month for very low-mileage drivers (under 2,000 miles per year).  

Most drivers do 4,000-5,999 miles per year, according to our data, and are quoted £69 per month, on average.  

However, our data reveals that 12,000-13,999 miles is the point at which drivers pay the least for their car insurance, with an average monthly premium price in 2023 of £58. That’s £22 a month less than a high-mileage driver. 

Overall miles per year 

Average monthly premium price 

Under 2,000 

59 

2,000 - 3,999 

66 

4,000 - 5,999 

69 

6,000 - 7,999 

65 

8,000 - 9,999 

62 

10,000 - 11,999 

67 

12,000 - 13,999 

58 

14,000 - 15,999 

65 

16,000 - 17,999 

62 

18,000 - 19,999 

63 

Over 20,000 

80 

Overall average 

66 

Based on fully comprehensive car insurance policies, with the policy holder having a full UK driving licence. MoneySuperMarket data collected between 1 January 2023 and 31 August 2023.  

High mileage electric car drivers pay most for insurance  

Driving an electric vehicle (EV) compared to a diesel or petrol vehicle has a bearing on price. Insurers don’t have as much data on repair, replacement and write-off costs for EVs as they do for petrol and diesel cars. However as the number of EVs increases and drivers keep them for longer, this is improving.  

The high level of technology in electric cars and the cost of the high-voltage battery system if it is damaged in a serious incident mean that insurance prices are still higher for EVs.  

Currently, electric car drivers pay £7-£9 per month more, with high-mileage EV drivers having the highest premiums of £93 per month, on average. That’s £19 per month more than diesel drivers doing the same mileage.  

The biggest difference in price between diesel and electric is £21 a month at the mileage points 16,000-17,999 and 18,000-19,999. 

For petrol drivers the greatest gap is £19 a month (£55 versus £74) for those doing under 2,000 miles.  

Electric car premiums are cheapest at 6,000-7,999 miles and 8,000-9,999 miles, with both mileage bandings attracting an average monthly price of £69.  

Overall miles per year 

Average monthly premium for a petrol car 

Average monthly premium for a diesel car 

Average monthly premium for an electric car 

Under 2,000 

55 

74 

74 

2,000 - 3,999 

62 

74 

72 

4,000 - 5,999 

67 

73 

76 

6,000 - 7,999 

65 

65 

69 

8,000 - 9,999 

63 

61 

69 

10,000 - 11,999 

69 

64 

79 

12,000 - 13,999 

59 

56 

76 

14,000 - 15,999 

67 

62 

77 

16,000 - 17,999 

64 

60 

81 

18,000 - 19,999 

64 

61 

82 

Over 20,000 

86 

74 

93 

Overall average 

65 

67 

74 

Based on fully comprehensive car insurance policies, with the policy holder having a full UK driving licence. MoneySuperMarket data collected between 1 January 2023 and 31 August 2023. 

How does driver age and mileage impact insurance premiums?  

Newly qualified drivers, who tend to also be young drivers, typically pay the highest premiums as car insurance is based on risk and they are less experienced and statistically more likely to have an accident.  

Our data shows that the average monthly premium price for drivers who are younger than 23 is four times higher than for drivers aged 60 or older. Young drivers pay £149 on average compared to £36. 

The highest price for young drivers is £282 a month, when they have an electric car and drive 12,000-13,999 miles a year. For drivers aged 60 or older the highest price is £73 a month in an electric car with annual mileage of more than 20,000.  

Low mileage drivers aged 60 or over, who have a petrol car, are quoted the lowest prices, with the average monthly premium price of £30. The cheapest it gets for those under 23 is £133 at the 8,000-9,999 mileage point in a petrol car.  

Driver age  

Overall miles per year 

Average monthly premium price 

Average monthly premium for a petrol car 

Average monthly premium for a diesel car 

Average monthly premium for an electric car 

Under 23 

Under 2,000 

168 

163 

187 

220 

 

2,000 - 3,999 

164 

159 

187 

225 

 

4,000 - 5,999 

148 

142 

172 

207 

 

6,000 - 7,999 

143 

139 

165 

150 

 

8,000 - 9,999 

136 

133 

149 

145 

 

10,000 - 11,999 

149 

148 

156 

167 

 

12,000 - 13,999 

148 

141 

167 

282 

 

14,000 - 15,999 

160 

158 

168 

147 

 

16,000 - 17,999 

149 

153 

140 

194 

 

18,000 - 19,999 

155 

157 

150 

190 

 

Over 20,000 

226 

226 

224 

251 

 

Overall average 

149 

144 

167 

183 

60 or over  

Under 2,000 

31 

30 

38 

42 

 

2,000 - 3,999 

33 

31 

38 

49 

 

4,000 - 5,999 

36 

33 

40 

49 

 

6,000 - 7,999 

36 

33 

39 

52 

 

8,000 - 9,999 

37 

35 

40 

52 

 

10,000 - 11,999 

40 

38 

42 

58 

 

12,000 - 13,999 

41 

38 

42 

61 

 

14,000 - 15,999 

46 

43 

47 

66 

 

16,000 - 17,999 

47 

46 

46 

65 

 

18,000 - 19,999 

48 

44 

49 

73 

 

Over 20,000 

54 

53 

53 

73 

 

Overall average 

36 

34 

40 

54 

Based on fully comprehensive car insurance policies and the youngest driver age at the policy start date. MoneySuperMarket data collected between 1 January 2023 and 31 August 2023. 

How to accurately track your mileage 

It’s important to give your insurer an accurate annual mileage figure. If you significantly underestimate how many miles you do then you risk invalidating your insurance or having your claim denied. If you overestimate your mileage, you’re likely to pay more for your insurance than you need to.  

One way to work out your mileage is to look back at the figures on your last few MOT certificates or service records. Alternatively, if you have telematics insurance (also known as black box insurance) your mileage will be tracked. This could be beneficial if you’re a low mileage driver, and you may also want to consider pay-as-you-go or pay-per-mile insurance

If your mileage falls into one of the brackets where premiums are high you could look at whether using public transport, walking or cycling some of your journeys instead of driving is worthwhile.  

If you change jobs or move house you may need to recalculate your mileage and let your insurer know.