Whether you are working at home due to COVID-19 or had another lifestyle change, you may find yourself driving less these days. You may assume that the cost of your auto insurance policy is set in stone. However, when your driving patterns change, so can the cost of your auto insurance policy. You may wonder, “How do I lower my auto insurance rates if I’m driving less than I used to?”
The good news is that you have options, including changing your insurance company, changing the way your insurance policy is set-up with your current company, and using technology to lower your premiums. Below, we have five strategies for you that could help reduce your auto insurance costs without sacrificing coverage. For more information, you can also contact us or fill out our quote form.
- Double-check discounts
- Trying a telematics device
- Pay by mile program
- Having us shop insurance with other carriers
- Adjusting coverages
Each insurance carrier has a slightly different menu of discounts that they offer. While we usually catch all of them when we start a policy, you may have changes that occur in your life that adjust the discounts for which you are eligible. Similarly, insurance carriers may add new discounts over time, so it’s good to check with us if you haven’t had a review in a while.
Many of our insurance carriers now offer these programs and provide a discount for trying them. These programs measure things like total mileage, braking, and acceleration patterns, as well as what time of day you drive. The majority of people who use them do see a discount. It just depends on your driving habits. The programs vary company to company, so it’s best to call us and see how they may benefit you.
If you aren’t driving much now, Pay By Mile programs can save you some money in the short term. However, be aware that once you start commuting again, this change can make your rate higher than it was, to begin with. For that reason, we usually recommend this only if your average annual mileage per car is less than 6000 – under normal circumstances.
One of the advantages of working with an independent agent is that we can access many different insurance companies’ products. Many times we find significant savings for new clients while simultaneously improving coverage.
While we rarely recommend lowering coverages, if you have a vehicle that you don’t drive, you have the option to suspend driving coverage on it. Your insurance will still cover the vehicle for anything that would happen to it while parked but not covered to drive. This change can often save a significant amount of money. The downside is that you have to remember to restore driving coverage before you drive it again.