Consumers have benefited through online comparison websites greatly over the past 15 years. This guide will help you understand how these sites work and how to use them effectively when looking for your next car insurance policy.
What is a price comparison website?
In essence, an insurance comparison site does exactly what you think it does – compare insurance, as well as other financial products from a number of different providers at once. Utility Saving Expert is quickly becoming one of the leading destinations in helping customers get the best deals along with giving them the most accurate and up to date information to help them make an informed decision. They have even gone the extra mile by pledging to donate a percentage of their profits to help fight fuel poverty in the UK.
To use a comparison site, a customer will enter a few details into an online form, which will then provide him/her with a number of quotes to choose from. The benefit of this is that you no longer have to call company after company and wait on hold for 30 minutes at a time to speak to an advisor and obtain a single quote. You can instantly compare products and services from multiple providers in minutes. This convenience factor not only saves you money but a lot of time also, as you can log on at your own leisure.
Normally, financial products such as loans and credit cards can be compared with little information. Car insurance and energy will require the user to input additional details about themselves and their usage requirements. This extra data helps the comparison engine understand a person’s individual circumstances to provide them with options that are most suitable. For example, if you drive a lot of miles each year or you’ve had penalty points on your driver’s license, you will only be presented with deals from those companies that are able to offer you cover.
Some of the most common questions you can expect to answer when comparing car insurance quotes include the following:
- What is your age?
- Where do you live?
- What is your occupation?
- What is the car make and model?
- What’s the vehicle registration number?
- How many miles do you travel on average each year?
- Do you have any previous criminal convictions?
- How many years have you had cover without making a claim?
Typically, you can expect a car insurance quote to take you around 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Once you have entered the required information, you will be presented with a list of options to select from. Another great feature that these sites include is the ability to adjust and tailor cover to meet your specific needs. For example, you can include a number of optional extras such as breakdown or windscreen cover. Furthermore, you can tweak the options to see how much of a difference it makes to the final price before buying your next policy. It’s worth noting that companies such as Aviva and Direct Line have opted out of being featured on these comparison sites. If you do want a quote from these two insurers, you will need to contact them directly.
How do I get cheaper car insurance?
There are a number of different steps you can take to lower your car insurance premium. Some of the most common examples are listed below:
- Increase your voluntary excess
- Choose to pay for cover in full rather than monthly instalments
- Reduce your annual mileage
- Improve the security of your vehicle by installing an approved car alarm or immobiliser
- Consider a telematics car insurance policy, this is sometimes referred to as black box cover
- Use a price comparison website such as Utility Saving Expert
Remember that when you are shopping for a new policy, not all cover is the same. For drivers, there are three main levels of cover: Third Party Only, Third Party, Fire and Theft and Comprehensive cover. Each subsequent option provides extra cover and protection that the previous one does not.
When looking for the right policy, you’ll want to balance quality with cost. Sometimes a comprehensive car policy won’t cost that much more than a standard Third Partly Only policy. Other things for you to consider include a company’s reputation and the level of customer service on offer. Afterall, cover is only useful if the insurer pays out in the event of a claim. The cheapest policy may not necessarily be the best choice, value for money is far more important. If it costs a little extra but includes everything you need, this may be the wiser choice.
Hopefully, this guide has given you a good introduction on how to use a price comparison website to compare car insurance. Once you have found cover that ticks all the right boxes, make sure you remember to read the terms and conditions before proceeding. These will highlight what is and isn’t covered under your new policy.