Car insurance is SO expensive this year... any tips on how to make it cheaper

[itshailingitspouring]

So:
2nd year of car ownership (ie 1st renewal), so now 1 yr NCB
London
Married, professionals
V low mileage (3000-ish)
10 year old car

Last year it cost 460, which I thought was high. Renewal quote came through at 980. Cheapest I can find online so far is 580 - ok, loads better than the renewal quote, but still SO expensive.

Any tips on how to bring it down? My mum (60s) would like to be a named driver - good/bad idea? What has happened to make it so ridiculous this year??

have they said why it has nearly doubled? talk to them and find out?

are you comparing like with like? there are so many variables, but obvious ones would be are you looking fully comp rather than third party?
then there is excesses... having higher excesses will reduce your premium, but then if you do need to claim you'll have a bigger amount to pay out...

Use comparison websites an dput details in with and without your mother. Some companies not on there like Direct Line and Aviva - the MSE site has good advice and use Quidco to get cashback too if the deal is right.

I was also going to suggest a cashback website, topcashback.co.uk you wont get it instantly but I got 45 cashback a couple of months later still money in your pocket!

i must ring and ask why it's so stupidly expensive.

done the whole MSE thing, checked out most of his places, STILL ridiculous...

Why??!! ANd the car failed its mot today...

Direct Line have just re insured with them, they cut the price of all the comparision web sites by £300 for me, that been said I do have house insurance with them, so I got money off for that too.

Agree Direct Line are pretty good and not on comparison websites.
Itshailing - your minimal NCB and living in London is your downfall.
Look at insurance that gives you a years NCB but you only pay for 10 months to build up NCB quickly. Large excess drops the price but be prepared to pay big for accidents!(so a gamble especially as you are a newish driver(?). I found my son putting me as his named driver dropped the price massively for him.

Directline quote £1300.

We've both driven for ages - 15 years...

I think you're right about the bigger excess. Am having a hate-hate relationship with car just now as the bill to get it to pass its MOT is going to be Huge...

Urgh

But do you have maximum no claims bonus - its not how long you've been driving but how much a risk you are seen.

Have you tried the AA - I rang them just to say they had given me different figures in two quotes and they offered me full AA over for the year - highest grade cover- free to get my business, this brought the Insurance for my Fiat Panda down to £104 comprehensive.

Have you checked the excess, sometimes if you increase the excess that will reduce the premium, but obviously if you make a claim you will have more to pay. Check to make sure you are not paying for something you don't need eg some include breakdown (which you may have some other way), some include legal protection (which you may have something that will do the same job with house insurance).

I found a few "quirks" like hubbys premium is always cheaper if he puts me down as a named driver. I don't drive his car so don't need it but whatever. My premium increases when I put hubby on, but he needs to be on as we use my car for trips, holidays etc. My dad was renewing his insurance last year and we managed to reduce his premium by £40 when he put my mum down as a named driver. He wont let mum drive his car and she wouldn't want to.

Hubby recently got his renewal and it was more than last year. He phoned up to renew (couldn't get anything cheaper) and when he asked them why it had gone up they offered to reduce it by £30 with no change in cover. No idea why but it is always worth asking.

I am also looking and can't seem to find much. II got 3 points for speeding which has made a big difference - can anyone suggest a good company who won't add a ridiculous amount on? The cheapest quote i have found so far is with Aviva online - they are giving 12 weeks 'free' but it does make a huge difference. Still want it cheaper though...