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CAR COVER

Six apps to cut cost of car insurance – and you could save up to £200 a year

DRIVERS could be paying over the odds for car insurance especially if you are young or don't make a lot of journeys.

But several apps could save you up to £200 on your insurance by tracking how much you actually use your car and the type of driver you are.

Several apps have emerged in recent years that try to challenge traditional insurance pricing
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Several apps have emerged in recent years that try to challenge traditional insurance pricingCredit: Getty

Insurers use a range of factors to work out how much to charge drivers for car cover.

Premiums are influenced by the type of vehicle, your age, experience, your job and where you live.

But several apps have emerged in recent years that try to challenge traditional insurance pricing.

These firms claim it is unfair that insurers use generic measures such as how long someone has been driving for and where they live, which doesn't accurately reflect how they drive.

Instead, users can download apps that monitor their habits and price insurance according to the type of driver they are.

The average cost for fully comprehensive car insurance is £468, according to the Association of British Insurers.

But the apps below claim they can help drivers access cheaper deals.

The savings can equal up to £200 in some cases, based on an average insurance policy.

Here is what is on offer and how much you could save.

DriveScore

Launched by credit reference agency ClearScore, is an app that tracks how your drive.

You can download the app onto your Apple of Android smartphone for free and it will monitor your driving habits such as braking, your speed and turning.

It will show what you do well and what you can improve, plus you can choose to share your data with DriveScore's partner insurers to get car insurance quotes based on your driving rating.

Insurers that can give quotes through DriveScore include Hastings, Insure Pink, People's Choice and Provident.

DriveScore doesn't have any savings figures but claims users will get insurance that is more accurately priced based on driver behaviour rather than generic factors such as your job or address, which could save you money.

ByMiles - Save £232.59

launched in 2018 and prices insurance based on how much drivers actually use their car.

Its research claims that low-usage drivers are penalised by insurers.

The insurer analysed car insurance quotes on MoneySuperMarket and found while the most common mileage quoted was distances of 5,000 to 6,000 miles,
the cheapest premiums were given to mileages between 11,000 and 12,000.

ByMiles doesn't make any claims on how much its own insurance will save customers but its research found lower mileage drivers were paying £232.59 more for their car insurance on average.

Motorists driving in line with the UK average car’s mileage of 7,134 potentially overpaid by £169.33.

Its users pay a fixed annual cost to cover their car against theft, vandalism, fire and accidental damage.

Motorists are also sent a tracker that you install in your car which monitors and charges you a unique rate based on how many miles you drive.

Cuvva - Save £154.44

offers an app that tracks how you drive and gives you a score once you have reached 125 miles.

It calls this smart pricing and says the safest and highest scoring drivers could save up to a third on their insurance.

That means the average insurance policy could be cut by £154.44 from £468 to £313.56 per year.

Cuvva users can pay monthly with no need for extra charges or a credit agreement and can cancel their policy at anytime.

Rooster - Save £188

tests drivers before giving them insurance to give potential customers an idea of how much cover would cost based on their habits.

Users need to download its app and then undergo a "test drive" for around three weeks that assesses your driving habits such as how fast you drive and when you mainly use your car.

It says it only insures good drivers and can provide savings of 40%.

That could bring the cost of an average car insurance policy down to £280.80.

If you are deemed a good driver, you will get a personalised quote that is valid for 60 days.

Honcho

Rather than searching a comparison website for quotes, Honcho lets insurers bid for your business.

Users can upload their driving licence, personal details and car information onto the app and can choose the type of cover they want.

Insurers that have partnered with Honcho such as Admiral, Aviva, LV and RSA can then "bid" for you to sign up and are incentivised to offer the best and most appropriate price so you pick them.

This may not be the cheapest but Honcho argues that it should more accurately reflect what a driver needs to be covered for.

Cashback - Save £90

You may be able to get money back by switching car insurance through a cashback website.

Insurers may offer deals through and .

Users can currently get up to £90 for switching to Aviva through Topcashback or £55 with Hastings Direct with Quidco.

These may not be the cheapest or best deals for you so it is still worth using a comparison website so you don't miss out on more affordable offers.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

You can get a winter car check, that will make sure your vehicle is safe for driving over the coming months.

And we've looked at eight things you should do to protect your motor from the snow.

Martin Lewis tells drivers how to save up to £500 on car insurance

 

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