The UK’s 34 million car drivers could save an enormous £1.9bn a year on annual car insurance premiums by shopping around online, according to Swift Cover.

With car dealers expecting one of their busiest days of the year on 1 March, swiftcover.com has advice for buyers and renewers on keeping their insurance premiums down.

Tina Shortle, marketing director of Swift Cover, said. “With household bills rising ever higher, it seems crazy that UK consumers should willingly waste over £1.9bn by sticking with the same old insurer year after year.

“Smart consumers know that an online insurance company is likely to be cheaper because it doesn’t have to pay hundreds of call centre staff and can pass on the savings to its customers.”

As well as shopping around, Swift Cover has issued a checklist recommending opting for a car in a lower insurance group, driving a smaller car if you can and making sure you are not paying for policy features you will not use.

It also recommends buying online, adding spouses to policies and having a car alarm or mobiliser fitted.