17 February 2009
Motorists buying car insurance online saw a 3.1% drop in premiums between June and December last year, according to Sainsbury's Car Insurance.
It found that in December 2008 the average motor insurance premium was £498.22, down from £514.36 in June 2008.
However, while most age groups saw their premiums drop, young drivers aged under 25 and older motorists aged over 65 saw an increase in costs.
Their premiums rose by an average of 2.22% and 2.6% respectively during the period analysed in the research.
Mark Monteiro, car insurance expert at uSwitch.com, said the latest findings from Sainsbury's paint a different picture to those of the AA.
Its British Insurance Premium Index, which was published last month, revealed that online premiums had risen "markedly".
"This just goes to show that people must shop around as all premiums are individually priced," Mr Monteiro remarked.
Indeed, Sainsbury's Car Insurance warns that premiums across the market could increase this year thanks to a rise in personal injury claims.