In September, one of the UK’s largest car insurers announced that they expect car insurance premiums to rise 10-20% in the next twelve months. There are many reasons for the rise – The Motley Fool blames the floods, for instance, while Admiral Insurance says that the rise is due to the fact that premiums have been kept artificially low for the past several years. The news has many UK drivers seeking cheaper car insurance premiums than they are currently paying.

You’d think that finding the cheapest car insurance company would be a simple matter, but there’s more to it than just checking the prices at all the companies and telling you “X Insurance Company will insure your car for less”. The fact is that auto insurers include far too many variables when devising their quotes for any responsible advisor to tell you point blank that any one company is the “cheapest” insurance company in the UK. We can, however, tell you how to find the best car insurance option for your particular situation. Here are some tips to help you find the most economical auto cover.

- Search online for the best and cheapest cover.

Online insurance search sites allow you to solicit quotes from many different insurers using the same information. Checking price comparison sites will give you a baseline for comparison, but it’s important to look beyond the comparison sites. Be aware that many insurers are not represented on most comparison sites, so you may be missing out on cheaper rates if you only look online.

- Look to non-traditional and newer insurers for the best prices.

In a recent experiment, one of the bigger comparison sites searched 33 insurers using a variety of risk profiles. The results? Newer insurers and companies not best known for offering car insurance consistently came out among the cheapest premiums, with Marks & Spencer coming out at the top of the list of cheapest insurers consistently. However, they cautioned, with all the variables that are used by car insurance companies, your results may be different.

- Be sure to take your safety discount and any loyalty discounts you have with your current insurer into account when comparing premium quotes.Many insurers offer perks for staying with them, especially if you’re considering switching companies. Be sure to count decreases in excess and safe driver discounts when you’re considering the costs of changing car insurance companies.

- Don’t be afraid to bargain. When you submit your information to several auto insurance companies for a quote, you’ll be armed with the ammunition you need to get the best deal possible. If you’re satisfied with your current insurer, but have got a lower quote elsewhere, you might find they’re happy to offer you a lower rate to keep your business. Ring them up and let them know that you love their service, but you’ve been quoted a lower premium by another company and ask if they can match it. Be specific. You might be surprised to find how much they value your business. And if they don’t – you’ve got that lower quote, don’t you?