Car Inusrnace costs - Go.Compare cropped

Revealed: The £150 timing trick that could cut your car insurance bill

Car insurance prices remain a major cost for UK drivers. The latest insight from Go.Compare Car insurance shows the average premium between April and June 2025 was £414 – the lowest it’s been since the same period in 2023, when the average premium cost £371.*

According to the price comparisons website’s latest price index, the cost varies dramatically depending on who you are and where you live.

  • Age: Young drivers (17–24) face average premiums of £779, compared to just £363 for drivers aged 65 and over - a 53% reduction.*
  • Location: A driver in Greater London pays an average of £594, while those in Wales pay just £339 on average - 43% less.*
  • Policy type: Surprisingly, comprehensive cover is the cheapest option, averaging £413, while third-party only (TPO) policies cost £549 – 33% more, despite offering less protection.*

But one of the easiest ways to save money isn’t about age, postcode or policy type – it’s about timing. Go.Compare analysis shows that drivers who buy their policy 26 days before renewal pay an average of £390, compared to £554 on renewal day.** That’s a saving of £164, or 30% cheaper.

Days before renewal

Average price

Saving vs Renewal day

0 (renewal day)

£554

14 days

£409

£145 cheaper

21 days

£398

£156 cheaper

26 days

£390

£164 cheaper (30%)

Tom Banks, spokesperson at Go.Compare car insurance, said, “While the cost of car insurance has come down, with the cost of living still high, having to pay your car insurance bill isn’t welcome news to any driver. But while there are factors you can’t change – like your age or where you live – there are plenty of practical ways to bring down your premium. One of the simplest is when you buy. Leaving it until the last minute could cost you 42% more, while being organised and renewing early could save you over £150.

“We’ve put together our list of top tips for saving money on your car insurance: 

  • Be accurate with mileage: Overestimating could add unnecessary cost, but be honest about how far you drive in a year.
  • Think about the policy type: It often costs less to go with more cover in a comprehensive policy, than a third-party only policy. 
  • Pay annually if you can: Most monthly instalments include interest charges, driving up the cost.
  • Check your job title: If there are multiple ways to describe your job, try them out; your premium could vary depending on which you use. But make sure you are truthful and accurate about your role, as misrepresenting your role could void your cover.
  • Shop around: A comparison site makes it easy to compare cover and price across insurers.”

For more tips on how to save money on your car insurance, visit: Go.Compare Car Insurance – Top Tips

Average car insurance cost by age (Apr–Jun 2025):

Age group

Median premium*

17–24

£779

25–34

£526

35–44

£468

45–54

£423

55–64

£381

65+

£363

Average car insurance cost by region (Apr–Jun 2025:)

Region

Median premium*

Greater London

£594

West Midlands

£497

North West

£486

Northern Ireland

£486

South East

£442

North East

£423

East Midlands

£421

Scotland

£403

South West

£371

Wales

£339

Mileage :

Annual mileage

Average premium*

6,000 miles

£409

8,000 miles

£427

10,000 miles

£445

To read the full car insurance report, visit here

Contact Information

Rosie Johns

rosie@fdcomms.co.uk

Notes to editors

For further information please contact:
Lynsey Walden – lynsey.walden@gocompare.com
Kath Chadwick – kathryn.chadwick@gocompare.com

Keep up to date with Go.Compare on X (Twitter): @GoCompare or you can call 02920 020360

About Go.Compare

Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.

It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.

When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.

Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.

Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.