Teacher driving 4,000 miles per year<\/h4>- Cheapest price comparison site quote: \u00a3375.40<\/li>
- Pay-per-mile quote: \u00a3381.30<\/li><\/ul>
<\/ul><\/ul><\/div>Teacher driving 10,000 miles per year<\/h4>- Cheapest price comparison site quote: \u00a3509.60<\/li>
- Pay-per-mile quote: \u00a3639.30<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
Both quotes show the substantial difference that putting in extra miles can make to your insurance premium. That extra 6,000 miles would add at least a third to our teacher\u2019s insurance costs.<\/p>
It also illustrates why opting for a pay-per-mile policy is well worth considering for low mileage drivers. The specialist low mileage policy quote was similar to the lowest price comparison site quote. Plus, if our teacher had ended up driving less, they\u2019d have paid less by the end of the year.<\/p>
But in the 10,000 mile scenario, our teacher would have paid \u00a3130 more for the pay-per-mile policy. If you put in a higher-than-average annual mileage, it\u2019s probably not worth the faff of getting quotes for specialist pay-per-mile policies.<\/p>
How can I estimate my mileage?<\/h3>
Unless you closely monitor your mileometer, you might not have a clear idea of how far you drive each year. And if you\u2019re taking out car insurance for the first time, or you know your driving habits are about to change, estimating your mileage could feel like even more of a shot in the dark. But working out your average mileage might not be as hard as you imagine.<\/p>
- If you\u2019ve been driving a few years, you should be able to check your current and previous MOT certificates or the records from your car\u2019s services. These will include your vehicle\u2019s mileage on the date it was tested. Assuming your driving habits have stayed fairly consistent, this should let you work out your average annual mileage pretty accurately.<\/li>
- If you\u2019re starting from scratch, things will be a little trickier, but not impossible. While you can\u2019t predict every journey, start by adding up the likely mileage for regular journeys such as commuting to work, or regular visits to relatives. Then allow a bit extra for the odd UK holiday, plus trips to the shops and the like.<\/li><\/ul>
What happens if I provide incorrect information about my annual mileage?<\/h3><\/div>![\"Danny](\"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/finder-us\/wp-uploads\/sites\/3\/2020\/07\/Danny-Butler.jpg\")
<\/p>
Finder insurance expert Danny Butler<\/a> answers <\/em><\/div><\/div>Standard car insurance providers will ask you to provide an estimate of your annual mileage when you take out your policy. It\u2019s important to try to be as accurate as you can with your estimate. Insurers know it\u2019s almost impossible to get your mileage estimate bang on, and generally allow drivers to go a bit over it \u2013 but exactly how much tolerance there is will depend on the insurer.<\/p>
Don\u2019t be tempted to significantly underestimate your mileage. It may invalidate your insurance if your actual mileage is massively different from your estimate.<\/p>
If you realise part-way through your policy term that you\u2019ve miscalculated your mileage, let your insurer know. If it\u2019s more than you estimated, your premium may rise, and you may incur an admin fee. But it\u2019s better than risking your insurance being invalid if you need to make a claim.<\/p>
And don\u2019t assume that overestimating your mileage is the best solution. While inadvertently estimating a higher mileage than you clock up in practice is unlikely to invalidate your policy, it could result in premiums that are higher than they need to be. If you\u2019re driving less than you expect and tell your insurer, if you\u2019re lucky you could even get an insurance rebate.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
How can I reduce my annual mileage?<\/h3>
Making some simple changes to how and when you use your car may work in your favour to lower your annual mileage. Consider the following changes:<\/p>
- If you use your car to commute to work or university, can you car share or set up a rota where the driving is shared and halved?<\/li>
- Can you cycle or use public transport to get to and from work or university, even if it\u2019s just for part of the week?<\/li>
- Can you walk instead of drive for errands close to home? Or perhaps cycle?<\/li><\/ul>
These small changes could have big results in lowering your mileage over the year, and therefore your premium. Not only that, but you\u2019ll need to pay less for fuel too.<\/p>
Pros and cons of low mileage car insurance<\/h3>Pros<\/h4>- If you don\u2019t drive many miles each year, low mileage car insurance could save you money.<\/li>
- It could work out to be cheaper than standard car insurance if you\u2019re a younger driver looking to keep costs down.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
Cons<\/h4>- If your annual mileage is high, you could end up paying more for a low mileage policy than standard car insurance.<\/li>
- There may be a cap on the number of miles or hours you can drive.<\/li>
- You may need to have a black box tracker fitted in your car to monitor your mileage.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Bottom line<\/h3>
Typically, if you\u2019re a low-mileage driver, you\u2019ll pay less than you would if you racked up the distance every year. If you only drive a few thousand miles annually, specialist low-mileage car insurance policies are well worth a look. Bear in mind, though, that mileage is only one of many factors that play into car insurance premiums. Always shop around, and check our full guide to cheap car insurance<\/a> for more ways to save.<\/p>Frequently asked questions<\/h3>- \n \n
\n
- <\/ul>
- Cheapest price comparison site quote: \u00a3509.60<\/li>
- Pay-per-mile quote: \u00a3639.30<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
Both quotes show the substantial difference that putting in extra miles can make to your insurance premium. That extra 6,000 miles would add at least a third to our teacher\u2019s insurance costs.<\/p>
It also illustrates why opting for a pay-per-mile policy is well worth considering for low mileage drivers. The specialist low mileage policy quote was similar to the lowest price comparison site quote. Plus, if our teacher had ended up driving less, they\u2019d have paid less by the end of the year.<\/p>
But in the 10,000 mile scenario, our teacher would have paid \u00a3130 more for the pay-per-mile policy. If you put in a higher-than-average annual mileage, it\u2019s probably not worth the faff of getting quotes for specialist pay-per-mile policies.<\/p>
How can I estimate my mileage?<\/h3>
Unless you closely monitor your mileometer, you might not have a clear idea of how far you drive each year. And if you\u2019re taking out car insurance for the first time, or you know your driving habits are about to change, estimating your mileage could feel like even more of a shot in the dark. But working out your average mileage might not be as hard as you imagine.<\/p>
- If you\u2019ve been driving a few years, you should be able to check your current and previous MOT certificates or the records from your car\u2019s services. These will include your vehicle\u2019s mileage on the date it was tested. Assuming your driving habits have stayed fairly consistent, this should let you work out your average annual mileage pretty accurately.<\/li>
- If you\u2019re starting from scratch, things will be a little trickier, but not impossible. While you can\u2019t predict every journey, start by adding up the likely mileage for regular journeys such as commuting to work, or regular visits to relatives. Then allow a bit extra for the odd UK holiday, plus trips to the shops and the like.<\/li><\/ul>
What happens if I provide incorrect information about my annual mileage?<\/h3><\/div>
<\/p>Finder insurance expert Danny Butler<\/a> answers <\/em><\/div><\/div>Standard car insurance providers will ask you to provide an estimate of your annual mileage when you take out your policy. It\u2019s important to try to be as accurate as you can with your estimate. Insurers know it\u2019s almost impossible to get your mileage estimate bang on, and generally allow drivers to go a bit over it \u2013 but exactly how much tolerance there is will depend on the insurer.<\/p>
Don\u2019t be tempted to significantly underestimate your mileage. It may invalidate your insurance if your actual mileage is massively different from your estimate.<\/p>
If you realise part-way through your policy term that you\u2019ve miscalculated your mileage, let your insurer know. If it\u2019s more than you estimated, your premium may rise, and you may incur an admin fee. But it\u2019s better than risking your insurance being invalid if you need to make a claim.<\/p>
And don\u2019t assume that overestimating your mileage is the best solution. While inadvertently estimating a higher mileage than you clock up in practice is unlikely to invalidate your policy, it could result in premiums that are higher than they need to be. If you\u2019re driving less than you expect and tell your insurer, if you\u2019re lucky you could even get an insurance rebate.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>
How can I reduce my annual mileage?<\/h3>
Making some simple changes to how and when you use your car may work in your favour to lower your annual mileage. Consider the following changes:<\/p>
- If you use your car to commute to work or university, can you car share or set up a rota where the driving is shared and halved?<\/li>
- Can you cycle or use public transport to get to and from work or university, even if it\u2019s just for part of the week?<\/li>
- Can you walk instead of drive for errands close to home? Or perhaps cycle?<\/li><\/ul>
These small changes could have big results in lowering your mileage over the year, and therefore your premium. Not only that, but you\u2019ll need to pay less for fuel too.<\/p>
Pros and cons of low mileage car insurance<\/h3>
Pros<\/h4>
- If you don\u2019t drive many miles each year, low mileage car insurance could save you money.<\/li>
- It could work out to be cheaper than standard car insurance if you\u2019re a younger driver looking to keep costs down.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>
Cons<\/h4>
- If your annual mileage is high, you could end up paying more for a low mileage policy than standard car insurance.<\/li>
- There may be a cap on the number of miles or hours you can drive.<\/li>
- You may need to have a black box tracker fitted in your car to monitor your mileage.<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>
Bottom line<\/h3>
Typically, if you\u2019re a low-mileage driver, you\u2019ll pay less than you would if you racked up the distance every year. If you only drive a few thousand miles annually, specialist low-mileage car insurance policies are well worth a look. Bear in mind, though, that mileage is only one of many factors that play into car insurance premiums. Always shop around, and check our full guide to cheap car insurance<\/a> for more ways to save.<\/p>
Frequently asked questions<\/h3>
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- <\/ul><\/div>