Tag Archives: Car insurance price index

Confused.com Reveals Car Insurance Prices Rise By More Than 12% Year-On-Year

Confused.com has revealed that the price of car insurance has risen by more than 12% year on year.

According to the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index, drivers have been lumbered with an average year-on-year rise of 12.3% in the cost of comprehensive motor insurance cover – this equates to a£92 jump in just 12 months.

The biggest annual price hikes affect postcodes in the North of England. As of quarter three 2011, Bradford has suffered a 27.5% year-on-year rise in the cost of average comprehensive cover and Oldham has fared even worse with a 27.9% year-on-year increase. Liverpool and Manchester have also seen insurance prices driven up significantly as has the Ilford area of Essex.

Third party, fire and theft (TPFT) customers have not gone unscathed however, suffering an annual rise of 19.9%, equating to an increase of £192 over 12 months.

This rise of 12.3% year-on-year is especially significant when compared to the Consumer Price Index – a measure of inflation – which currently stands at 4.5%, making the rises in car insurance prices almost three times as high as inflation in the UK. The national average comprehensive car insurance premium currently stands at£843.

Top five UK areas with the highest annual premium rises year-on-year, based on the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index are Oldham (27.9%), Bradford (27.5%), Liverpool (26.8%), Manchester(26.6%) and Ilford (23.7%).

The five UK areas with the lowest annual premium rises year-on-year include Perth (0.3%), Kirkwall (0.8%), Motherwell (2.2%), Dumfries (2.4%) and Edinburgh (2.5%).

Despite the year-on-year hikes, there is some good news for drivers as the average price of a comprehensive car insurance policy fell by 1.6% in the third quarter of 2011: the first quarterly decrease for over three years.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance for Confused.com commented: “The year-on-year picture is quite worrying as some drivers are being hit with more than 25% increases. Car owners in the affected areas are going to have to be as savvy as ever to find the cheapest and best deals for them by shopping around.”

For a more detailed look at the latest index, interested parties can visit: http://www.confused.com/infographic/car-insurance-interactive-2.

Over 4 million quotes are used in the construction of each quarter’s car insurance price index – this makes it the most comprehensive insurance index in the UK.

Via EPR Network
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Confused.com Finds £4,000 Average Annual Car Insurance Cost For Young Drivers

Confused.com has revealed that car insurance costs for 17-20 year olds have crashed through the £4,000 barrier, with the average 17-20 year old male now paying a staggering £4,006 per year for comprehensive cover.

This is the first time since the Confused.com/Towers Watson Car Insurance Price Index began in 2006 that average annual car insurance costs for young men have exceeded £4,000.

Bizarrely, young driver car insurance costs for males were around £1,000 lower if the driver is married and adds their partner to the policy.”

In order to afford a £4,000 a year premium and cover the cost of running a car, the average single male would need to spend £6,500 a year – almost half of the average salary of full-time employees at this age. This effectively prices them out of the market.

Gareth Kloet, Head of Car Insurance for Confused.com commented: “For young male drivers it has never been more important to shop around for the best price. Our consumer research shows that 50% of under 25s could save up to £556 on car insurance* by using Confused.com. This is one way to help combat these rises.”

The news isn’t only bad for young drivers though. The average cost of a comprehensive car insurance policy across the UK stands at £858 (as of the end of June 2011), marking a year on year rise of £170.

Despite the huge increase in the last twelve months, prices are still continuing to rise. In Q2 of 2011, prices inflated by an average of 25% compared to Q2 2010.

For more information on car insurance rises for young drivers, or to see the interactive car insurance infographic, interested parties can visit Confused.com for more details.

Via EPR Network
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