This car insurance error could cost UK drivers an estimated £677 million every year - are you one of them?
New research shows nearly one in ten forget about insurance renewals until it’s too late to switch in the UK
Drivers could lose an estimated £677 million every year because they forget to compare policies when their car insurance is up for renewal, according to new data.[1] This forgetfulness results in their policy auto-renewing, which often doesn’t offer the best deal – meaning many could be paying significantly more for insurance than they need to.
The figures come from the latest research by Go.Compare's new personal finance app Renewal. They reveal that, across all types of insurance, 8% of billpayers forget about an insurance renewal until it’s too late to compare every year.[2] This means insurance renewals could be forgotten about by an estimated 4.3 million adults annually across the UK.[3]
Of those who admitted to forgetting about a renewal, more than two in five (43%) said it was their car insurance that they allowed to auto-renew.[2] Therefore, approximately 1.8 million drivers could be paying more than necessary by missing the chance to compare.[4] As a quick comparison could save drivers up to £362 on their policy, millions could be being lost to this mistake nationwide each year.[5]
Combined home insurance policies were the second most commonly forgotten about renewal - just under a third (31%) admitted that they only remembered about this once it was too late.[2] This was closely followed by pet insurance (28%) home buildings insurance (26%) and contents insurance (23%).
Most forgotten about insurance renewals
|
|
Insurance policy |
% who forgot about it renewing (of those who admitted to forgetting about an insurance renewal in the last year) |
|
1 |
Car insurance |
43% |
|
2 |
Home insurance (combined buildings and contents) |
31% |
|
3 |
Pet insurance |
28% |
|
4 |
Home buildings insurance |
26% |
|
5 |
Home contents insurance |
23% |
|
6 |
Breakdown cover |
20% |
|
7 |
Gadget insurance |
17% |
|
8 |
Travel (annual multi-trip) |
16% |
|
9 |
Motorbike insurance |
11% |
|
10 |
Van insurance |
11% |
The data also suggests that younger age groups may have worse life admin skills than older generations: 14% of under 34s admitted they have failed to keep track of their insurance renewals, compared to just 2% of those aged 55+.
Matthew Sanders, money spokesperson at Go.Compare, which powers Renewal, said: “Allowing your policy to auto-renew can be convenient, but it can also mean that you’re missing out on the best price for your insurance, as there are usually better deals available. Comparing policies when your cover is nearing its end is a great opportunity to cut costs, yet many forget to keep track of when their policy is due to renew, and lose out on this chance as a result.
“For this reason, it’s essential that you make a note of when your policies are due to be renewed so that you have a chance to shop around first. When you have multiple insurance types to keep track of, this can be tricky - so using an app like Renewal can save you a lot of time and stress.
“The Renewal app is a safe, convenient space to store all your insurance info in case you need it – and it also sends you reminders, so you know when it’s time to renew and when you’re likely to get the best price.”
To learn more about Renewal, visit: https://www.myrenewal.app/.
ENDS
Contact Information
Alex McCormick
Notes to editors
[1] 1,870,875 forgot about a car insurance policy renewal until it auto-renewed (as below). Drivers can save up to £362 by comparing policies (as below). 1,870,875 x £362 is £677,256,696.17.
[2] Sourced from a survey conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Go.Compare, among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally Representative Consumers aged 18+. The data was collected between 14 January 2026 – 16 January 2026. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council. - With a drop in base size *Respondents who have forgotten about policies renewing until it's too late and the autorenewal has taken place
[3] Using UK 18+ population figure (2024), 55,022,253. 7.95% of 55,022,253 = 4,374,269
[4] Based on 43.77% of those who forgot about an insurance policy renewal until it auto-renewed. 43.77% of 4,374,269 = 1,870,875.
[5] Based on Go.Compare sales data between 01 October 2025 to 31 December 2025 across 64 companies, 51% of customers achieved this saving on their Car insurance through Go.Compare. This reflects the median difference between the highest and lowest quotes shown to customers compared to the price they paid. Actual savings will vary.
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