When’s the best time to renew car insurance?

Car insurance renewal made simple with 3-year fixed price, if nothing changes and no cancellation fees

While it’s not the most exciting date in the diary, there comes a time when every driver needs to decide whether to renew their car insurance. Unless you’ve opted-in to auto-renew, or you’re happy with your existing policy, you may want to check that your car insurance continues to meet your needs.

In this guide we cover how much it costs to renew car insurance as well as other information on renewals.

When is the best time to renew car insurance?

You may want to start thinking about renewing your car insurance in the weeks before the expiry date. To give you a general idea of how long you have to renew your car insurance, with Saga you will receive a renewal invite 21 days before the renewal date.

You can use this time to review the details of your policy to make sure the cover and price still meet your needs. Although you can’t renew car insurance early, you need to be ready to act to make sure you’re covered.

When is my car insurance due for renewal?

If you haven’t received your car insurance renewal quote, you can check your car insurance renewal date on your current policy documents – they’ll have the expiry date of your policy so that you can arrange new cover. When you receive your renewal invite (at least 21 days before your renewal date) it will include a Schedule for the coming year, which you could make a note of.

Do you have to renew car insurance every year?

Generally speaking, car insurance policies are due for renewal every 12 months, so you may have an annual car insurance renewal date each year. It’s your responsibility as a car owner to make sure your car is continually insured, as it’s illegal to drive a car in the UK without having (at least) third party insurance in place.

Does car insurance automatically renew?

So long as they have your consent, most insurers will automatically renew your car insurance policy at the end of each twelve-month cycle. They’ll send you a renewal invite with the details of your next year’s premium, based on the information you provided to them when you set up your original policy.

How do I stop my insurance auto-renewing?

Car insurance auto renewal rules mean that if you pay by Direct Debit or if you set up continuous payment when you took out your policy, your policy will auto-renew unless you tell your insurer you don’t want it to.

If you’re with Saga and you’ve decided to switch provider, you’ll need to tell us at least five days before the car insurance auto renewal date so that we can stop any payment being taken.

What happens if you don’t renew your car insurance?

You need to make sure you have cover in place on your car insurance renewal date. There’s no grace period in the UK so you’ll be without insurance if your current policy expires and you haven’t arranged alternative cover.

Legally you need at least third party insurance in place, as there are very few instances where you don’t need car insurance. These instances include:

• You hold a valid Statutory Off Road Notice (SORN)
• Your car has been kept off-road since before 1 February 1998
• Your car has been scrapped, stolen or exported and you have given notice of this
• Your car is between dealers, or is being held in stock by an authorised dealer.

The police can check on the spot if your car’s insured, so if you don’t renew your car insurance, your car can be seized and then disposed of unless you get valid insurance and pay charges for its return.

Can I renew my car insurance while I have a claim pending?

You can renew your car insurance if you have an ongoing claim, but you’ll need to make this clear to any insurance providers when you’re looking for renewal quotes.

You’ll want to check the car insurance renewal price from your current insurer against any new quotes you get to make sure you get the best cover available, whilst being very clear about your circumstances.

Fairer prices for everyone

From January 2022, changes made by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) mean that the way car insurance renewal premiums are calculated have changed, and insurers can no longer offer discounted prices to new customers compared to renewal premiums for existing customers. This means that anyone getting a renewal invite will be offered the same price, or lower, as a new customer.

Saga car insurance renewals explained

With Saga Plus we’re making it easier for you to deal with your car insurance renewal by offering a 3-year fixed price, if nothing changes (T&Cs apply).

You won’t have to worry about remembering the optimum time to renew your car insurance as towards the end of your year’s cover, we’ll send you a renewal invitation with the price for your next year’s policy.

How to renew your Saga car insurance

When you get your renewal documents, check you're happy the cover still meets your needs. You can renew your Saga policy by calling us on 0800 056 9169, or you can renew your Saga car insurance online with our secure renewal process in just a few clicks.

If you need to change any details or cancel your policy, you’ll need to contact us before your policy is due to expire. Otherwise, if you pay by Direct Debit, or if you set up a continuous payment when you took out your policy, we’ll automatically renew it for you, unless you tell us not to.

Note that to renew your car insurance you’ll need the reference number we sent you on your renewal documentation before you can get started.

How to cancel your Saga car insurance

If you want to cancel your car insurance, please call us on 0800 056 9167. We’ve compiled some further information on cancelling your car insurance below:

• If you have paid your premium and any arrangement fee and wish to cancel before your policy starts, we will provide a full refund.
• If you cancel your policy within 14 days of receiving your policy documentation and cover has started, we will charge you for the cover you have had and refund the rest. The arrangement fee will not be refunded and Saga will charge a cancellation fee. If you are a Saga Plus customer, you will not be charged a cancellation fee.