Dear LPG, 

I am yet another oldie who still drives and, as with everything else we have these days, there are both good and bad aspects of having this ability.  I noted what RR had to say on the subject in a recent message (►►►)  and being of a similar age, I suspect that like her, I don’t really travel that far. Over the years I have seen on LPG pages, articles that describe us older drivers’ habits and I am definitely one of the ‘pop to the shops, the doctor and a few friends’ driving brigade. 

The not-so-good aspect of driving for me is that time of the year when we need to sort out the annual obligations that allow us the mandate to keep mobile.  All drivers know the significant three bits of financial outlay attached to owning any car.  I am talking about making sure that yours is taxed, insured and has a current MOT certificate, but when we get to this end of our driving life, I would argue that even the men who know what goes on under the bonnet prefer to leave all that to someone else. 

The answer is breakdown cover, and I align myself with one of the more prominent companies that offer it.  I have used the same company for at least 20 years now, and every year, the cost of the cover goes up a little, but they give a discount if you pay by direct debit.  That is often the motivation for letting the renewal process allow us to know that we are safe even if our vehicle decides to stop moving at any point in our travels.  

I looked at my renewal letter this year and noticed a 70% increase in the annual premium.  There is usually an increase, but even by their standards, that was more than I expected.   I called them, and when I mentioned the pretty dramatic financial jump, I was told that the adviser might be able to change it slightly.  I learned a long time ago that a bit of a telephone haggle is not a bad thing, and this is a telephone call that I now make annually. 

Even so, this year’s jump was pretty drastic by any standards. 

Having paid £113.99 last year, this year’s letter quoted £193.99, but the young advisor I talked to was able to bring it down to £120.00 after a short conversation.  I have written this down because there must be millions of people who just let the direct debit go through, and in light of the financial climate that we are living in at the moment, I defy anyone, no matter their financial situation, to be happy to spend that sort of money unnecessarily. 

I had to ask why the quote is so high even though it can be adjusted so drastically and was told that that is the price before any variables are put in place.  Facts such as how long you have been using their services, how often you have called on them over the past year or two and others were mentioned.  

Paying many of these companies by direct debit is cheaper, but please know that setting it up and forgetting it can often cost you money that you don’t need to part with…

DS, Kent