Archive: MoneySavingExpert's Money Tips Email

18 Motoring MoneySavers
NEW best time to buy car insurance, £1 MOTs, cheap petrol, £54 full service breakdown cover, pothole help & more

Stay-at-home rules are being eased across much of Britain this week (though there are still restrictions), which means longer or more regular car journeys are back for some. Yet rising fuel prices, added to the many other unavoidable motoring costs, can put your finances in a jam. So we've 54 Motoring Tips to help slow accelerating costs - here are 18 of 'em to give you a steer...

1. Six simple checks to get your car in gear if you've hardly driven recently. We've compiled top tips from the AA and Green Flag on how to do some quick checks (eg, to ensure your brakes work) that can help you get back on the road safely. Plus it's worth a scout around to check if your car's now providing a home for local wildlife. See the full checklist.
   
   
2. The BIG car insurance secret - compare quotes 23 days before renewal to potentially HALVE costs. We've told you this for years, so it might not sound like a secret, but we still class it that way as millions DON'T do it. But getting quotes at the last minute before renewal means you're actually deemed a higher risk - insurers say such drivers are statistically more likely to claim, so they often pay £100s more. To be clear, this is not about getting a renewal quote from an existing insurer, it's about getting cheaper quotes elsewhere.
   
   We've just redone our "when's best to buy car insurance" analysis for the third time. We looked at 70m+ quotes from the four big comparison sites and found the optimum time to get a quote is now 23 days ahead (previously, 24 days), though it's still similarly cheap a few days either side.
   
   If you've less time, hurry, as prices tend to rise the closer you get to renewal. Buying early worked for Nicola, who emailed: "Tried your method 24 days prior to renewal and slashed insurance on my Fiesta from £329 to £199. Thanks." And we've more tips to find cheap car insurance below. 
   
   
3. Ends Mon. Bag a £1 MOT vch valid till Nov. Buy anything, eg a £1 sponge, at Halfords by Mon (19 Apr) and you'll get a 'free' MOT vch. You then need to book the MOT by 21 May and get it done by 21 Nov.
   
   A warning, though - £1 MOTs are great if you're sure your car will pass everything, eg, if it's fairly new. Yet if minor fails are likely, it's worth looking at 'hidden' MOT centres. These generally only do tests - they don't fix your car, so there's no chance of you having to shell out for needless repairs.
   
   However, if your car's likely to need major work, you're actually best off finding a reasonably priced garage that can do both testing and repairs, as you may not be able to drive away from the test centre if it fails. See how to choose the right MOT centre.
   
   - Not sure when your MOT's due? Use a simple tool to help avoid a fine of up to £1,000 for driving without one. See MOT checker.
   
   
4. Petrol's up 20p/L since May 2020, so use a clever tool to find the cheapest fuel near you in seconds. The difference between the cheapest and priciest local forecourts can be sizeable, eg, in Leeds on Tue we found it ranged from 117.7p/L to 126.9p/L. See how to find cheap petrol near you.
   
   
5. Get up to 5% cashback when you fill up. The Amex Platinum Everyday card gives a massive 5% introductory cashback for 3mths (max £100), then up to 1% - and works everywhere Amex is accepted, not just for fuel.
   
   
6. Urgent - check if your photo licence is valid NOW, as the renewal amnesty has ended and you could be fined. Many whose licences were due to renew last year got an 11mth extension. But if that's ended for you, or your licence expired after Dec 2020, you MUST renew it or you could face a fine. See how to check your driving licence is valid (and what to do if it's not).
   
   
7. Never auto-renew your car insurance - loyalty is expensive. Premiums are at their lowest for four years, but that doesn't mean you'll get a cheap renewal quote. Nothing better illustrates this than Ken's cautionary tale: "Renewal premium was £1,215, but following the tips in your email, I managed to get a quote of £436, saving £779". See how to cut your costs in Cheap Car Insurance.
   
   
8. Find YOUR cheapest car insurance quote. Here's how...
   
   - Try comparison sites in order to speedily find your cheapest cover. They don't cover the same insurers, nor give the same price for the same insurer. Our current order is: 1) MoneySupermarket* 2) Confused.com* 3) Compare The Market* 4) Gocompare*. (Why? See comparison order.)
   
   - Try insurers & hot deals comparisons miss. Check if biggie Direct Line* can beat your top quote, as it isn't listed on comparisons and can be competitive for some. Also see deals comparisons miss.
   
   
9. Stop using your brake... and save up to 30% on fuel. Don't worry, we're not suggesting you drive Fast (or even Furious) - it's actually the opposite. By thinking about road positioning, rather than slamming on the brakes and burning all the energy you've pumped into the car, you'll be able to slow down gradually, making your driving more efficient, thus using less fuel. Combine this with our 12 other tips to drive more efficiently and use less fuel.
   
   
10. DIY checks to help you pass your MOT. Many fail needlessly with broken lights, bald tyres etc. A simple 5min check can help to fix that. See our 9 pre-MOT checks.
    
    
11. Sometimes to save on car insurance, it's best not to be logical. Sometimes things that don't make sense can save you cash. Our Cheap Car Insurance guide has 'em all, incl:
    
    - Comprehensive cover can beat 3rd party, so always check both.
    - Insuring extra, responsible drivers on your policy can slash costs.
    - Legitimately tweaking your job description can also cut the price.
    
    
12. Full breakdown cover, incl home start and onward travel, for you and your partner for £54/yr. Newbies can get an AutoAid* policy and pay £59.99 for 1yr, but it then gives £6 automatic cashback. In contrast, an equivalent AA or RAC policy is £100+. More options, incl basic policies from £24, in Cheap Breakdown Cover.
    
    
13. If you're sticking with the AA or RAC for breakdown cover, never renew policies without haggling. In our poll, 83% of hagglers had success with RAC, and 82% with the AA. It worked for Barrie: "Thanks for the advice about haggling, told the AA I was leaving and it reduced my joint full cover from £357 to £179." See our Breakdown Haggling Tips.
    
    
14. Car pranged by a pothole? You could be due £100s. Use our Pothole Claims guide to see if you're owed.
    
    
15. Cut parking costs by renting a driveway. Whether you're back commuting or just taking a day trip into town to get a long-awaited haircut, see if you can rent a private space for less. We found £8.50/day in London, compared with National Car Parks' £16/day.
    
    
16. Could you pass the driving theory test? The official mock version is free online. Driving lessons have resumed in Eng and Wales, with tests restarting next week. Whether you're a learner or just want to prove you could still pass it, check out the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's free mock theory test.
    
    
17. 634,000 drivers haven't paid vehicle tax - risking a fine or having their car towed. You no longer need to display a paper tax disc, but you DO still have to tax your car. This is especially important if you declared your car off-road during lockdown. See how to check if you've paid vehicle tax.
    
    
18. Buying a new or used car? The right finance deal can save you £100s. Whatever car you have your eye on, the cheapest way to get it is to buy it outright. If that's impossible, the next cheapest route is usually via a standard bank loan, as rates tend to be lower than those on specialised car finance packages. See our best buys below or full info & options in Cheap Car Loans.
    
    However, specialised car finance packages can be more flexible, and can work well if you're planning to regularly trade up to newer models. See Cheap Personal Contract Purchase, and our other dealer finance guides for full pros & cons of each.

PS: If you're getting on your bike instead, we've 13 MoneySaving cycling tips to help cut costs.