Use this guide three to four weeks before your car insurance renewal date. Have your renewal letter, current policy details, driving licence, car details, estimated annual mileage and any claims or convictions from the last five years ready.
Step by step
Read your renewal notice
Your insurer must send the renewal details before your policy ends. Check the price, excess, cover level and whether it will renew automatically. Under FCA rules, your renewal price should not be higher than the price the same insurer would offer a new customer through the same sales channel.
Check your details are accurate
Check your address, job title, mileage, where the car is kept overnight, named drivers and any modifications. Wrong or out-of-date details can lead to a claim being refused. Tell the insurer about changes rather than guessing.
Compare quotes widely
Use two or three comparison sites, as they do not all show the same insurers, and check insurers that do not appear on them. Compare like for like: the same cover, excess, drivers and add-ons. Quotes can change depending on how far in advance you buy, so try a few weeks before renewal.
Look beyond the headline price
Check the total excess, courtesy car, windscreen cover, driving other cars and cover abroad. Decide which add-ons you really need, such as breakdown or legal cover, and whether you already have them elsewhere. A cheap policy with a high excess may cost more when you claim.
Choose how to pay
Paying annually is usually cheaper than paying monthly, as monthly payments often include credit charges. If you pay monthly, check the APR in the documents. Put the new renewal date in your calendar.
Switch or haggle, then confirm
Ask your current insurer whether they can improve the price, and switch if another policy is better value. If you switch, make sure the old policy will not auto-renew and that there is no gap in cover. Keep the new certificate and policy documents.
Ready-to-use checklist
- Renewal letter and current policy
- Licence and car details
- Claims and convictions from the last five years
- Annual mileage estimated honestly
- Two or three comparison sites used
- Excess and add-ons compared like for like
- Payment method decided
- Old policy auto-renewal stopped if switching
Practical tips
- Never put a young driver's car in a parent's name as the main driver to cut costs: this is fronting and can void the policy.
- Adding an experienced named driver can sometimes lower a premium, so try quotes with and without.
- If you have a complaint about your insurer that it does not resolve, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Common problems
My renewal price has gone up a lot with no claims.
Prices can rise across the market, but you should not pay more than a new customer would through the same channel. Ask the insurer to explain the increase, and compare quotes elsewhere before accepting.
I made a mistake on my application.
Contact the insurer straight away to correct it, even if it raises the price. Leaving incorrect information can mean a claim is reduced or refused.
The policy auto-renewed after I switched.
Contact the old insurer immediately, explain you have cover elsewhere and ask them to cancel and refund. You are usually entitled to cancel, though a fee or deduction may apply; if they refuse, complain and then escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
This guide gives general information, not personal legal, financial or medical advice. Rules and prices change, so check the current position with the official service before acting.
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