Fortunately, February does hold one ray of sunshine for motorists – it’s officially the cheapest month in which to buy or renew your car insurance policy. That’s according to research from whatcar.com, which found drivers can save an average of £100 by sorting it out now rather than in December*.

Even if your car insurance isn’t yet up for renewal, it could pay to spend a couple of hours this month comparing quotes to find a good deal. That’s because many insurers don’t actually insist your policy starts in the same month to secure the cheaper price (although some will have a limit on how far in advance you can buy). So there’s potentially nothing to stop you locking in a great deal now for later in the year.

Even if the February window evades you, being organised and renewing your policy early, no matter what the time of the year, will invariably pay off**. Providers often equate leaving-it-to-the-last-minute types with a higher likelihood of claims, while buying it three weeks in advance suggests the kind of organisation and care that risk-averse insurance providers are looking for.

Our final tip? Shop around. We’ve all heard it before, but moneysupermarket.com claims this number one money-saving message is falling on deaf ears for some five million UK motorists, who still allow their car insurance policies to auto-renew°. There are countless online comparison services to do the hard work for you, get the kettle on and get online, there’s no need to brave the cold!

Safe driving – and happy saving!

Brought to you by UniteProtect, who have launched a new car insurance comparison website for Unite members www.UniteCar.co.uk

* https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/how-to-save-money-on-your-car-insurance/n1117
** https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2018/07/revealed-the-best-day-to-buy-car-insurance-to-slash-costs-by-100s/
° https://www.moneysupermarket.com/car-insurance/money-saving-tips/