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Make insurance charges clearer, site urges

Drivers are being hit by £333 million of hidden "additional fees" when amending their car insurance, price comparison website uSwitch has said.

The charges - which could make paying off debt more difficult for some - were claimed to affect 14 million motorists by an average of £22 each.

According to uSwitch, fees are levied for such simple changes to policies as different addresses, vehicle details - or even names.

Insurance expert at the comparison site Ashton Berkhauer commented: "Consumers need to know where they stand and the easiest way to do this is for the amount providers charge to be consistent across the insurance industry.

"This would make it clearer for consumers and bring transparency to the market."

uSwitch added that, as there is currently no government regulation in place legislating for excessive fees charged by insurers, the law should be changed in order to protect consumers.

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