How to get up to £50 off your car insurance bill if you’re struggling
STRUGGLING motorists can get up to £50 off their car insurance bill during the coronavirus crisis, depending on which insurer they're with.
All major car insurance firms offer help to customers who've been hit financially by Covid - we explain all you need to know.
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Many motorists are likely to drive less during the pandemic, meaning you're paying for a car that you're not really using.
Since November 5, England has also been in a second lockdown, with the restrictions expected to remain in place until December 2.
Earlier this year, drivers were warned they could invalidate their insurance if they made unnecessary journeys.
Meanwhile, drivers who have now started commuting to work because of coronavirus could also invalidate their insurance - and risk a £300 fine.
If you're struggling to pay your car insurance bill, or if you're driving less during the pandemic, we explain what support is available below.
We've asked five of the major UK insurers, but if yours isn't listed, make sure you check with your provider directly about the help on offer.
Ways to cut down on your fuel costs
IF you're still driving during the pandemic, here are some tips on how you can slash the cost of fuel.
- Make your car more fuel-efficient. You can do this by keeping your tyres inflated, taking the roof rack off, emptying your car of clutter and turning off your air con when driving at lower speeds.
- Find the cheapest fuel prices. PetrolPrices.com and Confused.com allows you to search prices of UK petrol stations. All you need to do is enter in your postcode and tell it how far you want to travel (up to 20 miles).
- Drive more efficiently. Some ways to do this, include:
- Accelerate gradually without over-revving
- Always drive on the highest possible gear
- If you can, allow your car to slow down naturally as your brake is a money burner
- Re-starting your car is expensive, if you can keep moving
What are car insurers offering in support and refunds?
Admiral
In April, Admiral announced it'd offer a £25 refund to all of its 4.4million car insurance customers by the end of May - worth £110million in total.
The insurer told The Sun it's also cut its car insurance prices by the equivalent of £92million since March.
And by the end of the year, it'll implement price reductions worth a further £40million to reflect the drop in claims.
Admiral is also continuing to waive any motoring claims excess fees for NHS or emergency service workers in the second lockdown.
If you're still struggling, Admiral says it'll be flexible with customers who pay monthly so make sure you ask the insurer for help.
Aviva
During the first lockdown, Aviva offered payment holidays of up to three months for car insurance customers.
If you're still struggling, Aviva's still supporting with deferred monthly payments and it may waive admin or cancellation fees too.
If you take a payment holiday, just keep in mind that your repayments will rise in future.
Customers are also able to make changes to their policies, including changing their mileage, which may result in a pro-rata refund.
LV=
In May, LV= announced it's offering cash grants and refunds to customers who are struggling financially due to Covid from a £30million fund.
The support is still available, with the insurer expecting to be able to give between £20 to £50 to eligible customers.
Other support on offer for LV= customers includes waived administration and cancellation fees.
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Plus, mortgage holidays for homeowners are being extended until July next year, the regulator confirmed today.