Lisburn ‘tenth most expensive city in UK’ for car insurance

Figures from the Council show Lisburn is the 10th most expensive city in the UK for car insurance and they want as many people as possible to register their support for lower rates.

Antoinette McKeown, Chief Executive at the Consumer Council said: “Since we launched our campaign at the end of August we’ve had a staggering response with over 4000 people signed up so far.

“We’ve also heard some extraordinary stories from consumers. Lots of young drivers and their parents are telling us how they struggle to get affordable insurance and lots of consumers are providing us with examples of price differences between NI and GB.

“In one case, someone was quoted car insurance which was ten times the value of the car. Figures show that Lisburn is the tenth most expensive city for car insurance in the UK. But the more signatures and stories we have the stronger our case will be, so we’re urging all Lisburn motorists who want to see lower car insurance premiums to sign up today.

“Consumers can sign at www.consumercouncil.org.uk and can tell us about their car insurance experiences on our website, facebook, twitter, or by calling us on 0800 121 6022. We are also asking people to share our links on their facebook page and retweet our messages to allow people they know to sign up too.”

The Consumer Council will present its petition and comments to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) on Wednesday 12 October. The OFT agreed to undertake an investigation into the car insurance market, with a specific focus on Northern Ireland, after the Consumer Council made a formal submission in August asking them to tackle the issue.

Car insurance premiums have increased by almost 73 per cent in the last two years and the situation is even worse for younger drivers whose premiums have increased by 112 per cent.

The average yearly car insurance premium is now £923.90 and with the increasing cost of fuel the Consumer Council is concerned it will force some people off the road altogether, or lead to an increase in motorists driving illegally without insurance.

The Council has also produced a leaflet, ‘Driving Down the Cost of Car Insurance’ which aims to help people get the best deal for their needs. It is available free on www.consumercouncil.org.uk or by calling 0800 121 6022.