Car insurance calculator

Knowing how much you should expect to pay for car insurance can help you find the best deal.

Our car insurance calculator uses data from our most recent car insurance price index. We look at more than 6 million car insurance quotes quarterly to understand how prices have changed.

Louise Thomas, Motor Insurance Expert at Confused.com

Reviewed by: Louise Thomas Motor Insurance Expert 5 min read | Published 17/09/2024

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How does the insurance calculator work?

Our insurance calculator helps you get an idea of the average car insurance prices for someone of your age, gender and location. We draw from anonymised data on over 6 million car insurance quotes taken from our quarterly car insurance price index.

Our price index is the most comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing in the UK.

Every 3 months we publish an update to the index using data on insurance quotes collected over the previous 3 months. The data lets us share insights and analysis into car insurance price.

By looking at such a large number of car insurance quotes each quarter we're able to confidently see how average car insurance prices are changing by age, gender and region across the UK.

Why do we ask about your gender?

In 2012 the EU gender directive was introduced to stop insurers pricing based on gender. Since then the pricing gap between genders has shrunk, however, it’s still common to see differences in price between men and women. This is for several reasons, but it largely comes back to the data insurers have seen.

For example, men tend to drive more expensive cars with bigger engines that can be more expensive to repair. Meaning if they go on to make a claim, that claim will likely be for a higher amount.

By telling us your gender it means we’re able to give you a better idea of what prices are like in your area and age group.

How could our insurance calculator help you save money on your car insurance?

It gives you an idea of the average price

The pricing data in our calculator can be used to give you an idea of what you might expect to pay for your car insurance. This can help you check whether your recent quote or renewal offer is higher or lower than the average. Even if your insurance isn't up for renewal yet, the calculator could help give you an idea of how much prices have changed.

It lets you see how much you’d pay living elsewhere

If you're thinking of moving to a different part of the country, you can also use the calculator to estimate whether the price of your insurance will change. Prices can be influenced by where you live, so if you're staying in the same region, you're less likely to see a difference in what you pay.

It lets you compare your quote against the average

The data used by the calculator is based on averages across millions of quotes. The most accurate way of finding out whether you could make a saving on your insurance is to get a quote and compare prices. You can check these quotes against the average for your age, region and gender. It only takes a few minutes and is even quicker if you’ve used our site before.

Our latest data shows that 51% of customers could save up to *£523 by using our site to find their next car insurance policy. The prices you are quoted are based on the information you give us, so it's important to make sure everything you tell us is correct.

**Based on data provided by Consumer Intelligence Ltd, www.consumerintelligence.com (July '24). 51% of Confused.com car insurance customers could save £523.17

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How is car insurance calculated?

The price you pay for car insurance is unique to you. Insurers base your price on risk factors that are specific to you such as:

Your age

Insurers generally see younger drivers as less-experienced, which is a higher risk factor. They cover this additional risk by charging you more. Older drivers with no claims will typically pay less for their insurance than younger drivers. If you stay claim-free, you should see your premiums go down as you get older.

The car you drive

What you drive matters because not all cars are classed the same. Insurers use insurance groups to give different makes and models a group from one to fifty. Things like how powerful the car is, security, availability of parts and cost of repairs all go towards deciding which group a car falls into. Generally, those in lower groups are cheaper to insure and those in higher groups cost more.

Where you live

Your address also matters to insurers. Different areas of the country are more prone to crime, which increases the risk of your car being stolen or broken into. Insurers calculate this risk when making you an offer. It’s not just crime though, insurers will also look at insurance claim rates in your area and factor that in when giving you a quote.

Your driving history

This tells insurers a lot about the type of driver you are. If you’ve made an insurance claim before, or have any driving convictions, insurers might view you as a higher risk. If insurers think you’re more likely to make a claim, your premium will cost more. Equally if you stay claim free and build up a no-claims bonus, insurers will often reward you with a discount.

Find out more about how car insurance is calculated.

How else can you save money on your car insurance?

Building up a no-claims bonus

This takes time but is a good way to prove to insurers you're lower risk. Each year you drive without making a claim you earn another year of no-claims bonus (NCB). Our data shows that having 1 year of NCB could save you 46% on the price of your insurance when compared to having no NCB.***

Taking out a black box policy

This can help prove you're a safe driver and save you money at the same time. By using an app on your phone or a box fitted to your car, your insurer can monitor how you drive and reward you with a discount for safe driving. A black box policy can be a good option if you're a young driver starting out or don't use your car much.

Estimate your mileage accurately

When you get a quote, we’ll ask you how many miles you drive in a typical year. The higher the number, the more you’ll tend to pay for your cover, so it’s important to get it right. For example, our data shows that drivers doing 5,000 miles a year paid 20% less for their cover that drivers doing 10,000 miles***.

You can find your annual mileage on your MOT documents, or calculate it using more basic means, like jotting down how many miles you typically drive in a week and multiplying that number by 52.

***Confused.com data Q2 2024.

Pick a car in a lower group

Changing cars isn't straightforward or affordable for everyone. But you may not have bought a car yet, or are in a position to have more freedom with picking the car you drive. You can consider a less-powerful car with a smaller engine, or one with a lower value.

Lower value, less powerful cars tend to be in lower car insurance groups. And the lower your car’s group, the cheaper your insurance tends to be. Groups aren’t the be all and end all of what you pay for your insurance, but they have a substantial bearing on what you pay.

Increase your voluntary excess

This means you'll pay more if you ever need to make a claim, but it can also bring down the overall price of your policy. £250 is the most popular voluntary excess amount chosen by our customers when getting a quote**. But offering to pay a little more could bring your insurance costs down. Just make sure you can afford to pay it if you need to make a claim.

Learn about more ways to save on your car insurance.