Confused.com reveals keeping a car in a garage may cost drivers more

PRESS RELEASE 7 September 2010 • 8% of people admit to lying about keeping their car in the garage • Research shows keeping cars in a garage can actually increase insurance costs by 12% Confused.com has revealed that, despite popular belief, keeping a vehicle in a garage might not reduce the costs of insurance premiums and could in fact add to the price drivers pay. The price comparison site discovered 8% of people admit to not being honest about keeping their car in the garage in a bid to lower their insurance costs. However its own statistics have uncovered how this assumption is out of date and the lie could actually increase drivers’ premiums by up to 12%. The general advice from motor insurance commentators is that garaging a vehicle is a good way of reducing premiums, as keeping a car locked-in reduces the risk of theft. However, Confused.com has found that listing a car as parked on the road has very little impact on the policy price. Based on a 28 year old woman living in a busy street in Cardiff, the best quote for parking in a garage was 9% more expensive than parking on a road. And for men of the same profile it was 12% higher. On average there is less than 1% difference between roadside premium for men of this age, and it’s actually 3% more expensive for women to park in a garage. Will Thomas, head of car insurance at Confused.com, says: “While 8% admit to not being honest about keeping their cars in garages I’m sure there are many more who won’t confess. Thousands of motorists could be paying more for their insurance than they need to be. “While every insurer rates differently and it’s hard to be certain about why this is the case, it is likely to be because the risk of a car being stolen or hit while parked on a street or driveway is lower than the risk of an accidents that happen in garages. The reason women might see a bigger difference is that they are statistically more likely to have these sort of small bumps getting in and out of the garage. The average Brit has a 6.4 per cent chance of suffering a vehicle-related theft in their lifetime. Tally that up against the much greater likelihood of scratching your car when reversing into the garage, for example, and you’ll begin to see why insurers might prefer you to keep your car outside. Stretching the truth does not pay when it comes to insurance, and making assumptions can prove costly. The best way to keep costs down is by shopping around for cover” About Confused.com For further information please contact the confused.com press office: Victoria Leyton 02920434398 Victoria.Leyton@confused.com Substantiation available in attachment. Confused.com is one of the UK’s biggest and most popular price comparison services. Launched in 2002, it generates over one million quotes per month. It has expanded its range of comparison products over the last couple of years to include home insurance, travel insurance, pet insurance, van insurance, motorbike insurance, breakdown cover and energy, as well as financial services products including credit cards, loans, mortgages and life insurance. Confused.com is not a supplier, insurance company or broker. It provides a free, objective and unbiased comparison service. By using cutting-edge technology, it has developed a series of intelligent web-based solutions that evaluate a number of risk factors to help customers with their decision-making, subsequently finding them great deals on a wide-range of insurance products, financial services, utilities and more. Confused.com’s service is based on the most up-to-date information provided by UK suppliers and industry regulators. Confused.com is owned by the Admiral Group plc. Admiral listed on the London Stock Exchange in September 2004. Confused.com is regulated by the FSA.