Online car insurance - survey shows it's the cheapest

According to an independent survey, online car insurance is now the cheapest source of insurance for car owners.

Online car insurance quotes are 8.2% cheaper than those obtained by telephone, according to findings from research firm Consumer Intelligence. They found that last year around 10.43 million motorists bought car insurance over the phone.

If they had purchased their cover through the internet, they could have saved up to £379 million in premiums, it said. Consumer Intelligence found that the average online car insurance quote is £404.98, compared with £441.32 when bought over the telephone.

Last year, 53.1% of motorists purchased their cover on the phone and only 33.4% did so online. Yet the survey found that 70% of car insurers offer online discounts. Two in five insurers offer online car insurance premium discounts of 10% or more.

Consumer Intelligence Managing Director Ian Hughes said: "The number of motorists purchasing car insurance online is growing rapidly. "Last year, around 33% of all car insurance policies were bought online compared to 22% in 2003.

CoverGirl Car Insurance Services is an online only insurer and offers the most competitive online car insurance quotes for female drivers. We can save you up to 30% off your existing policy and all policies include a reduced price legal expenses insurance policy worth up to £50.

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*A replacement car can normally be arranged under one of the following conditions: (1) Comprehensive policyholders – a replacement car may be available under the terms of your insurance policy. Please check your policy details for more information. (2) Non fault accident – where we have the name, car registration number and insurance details of the person who caused the accident, we can supply a replacement car. This is done on a credit hire basis which means the costs for this service will be passed onto the insurance company of the person who caused the accident. We may not be able to arrange a replacement car where we are unable to get an admission of liability from their insurance company, or where the driver is untraceable or uninsured. (3) Repair garage – if your car is booked in for repairs following an accident, the repair garage may be able to provide a replacement car (subject to availability).