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The price of fuel may be on the way down but insurance costs just keep on climbing. According to the AA the average insurance premium rose by 1% in the last quarter of 2008 and with January seeing more car insurance claims than any other month, according to Norwich Union, it’s a costly time to be on the road.

What’s worse, things don't look like getting any better. 2008 saw a huge rise in personal injury claims, with the payouts made by the insurance industry rising by around 22%. If that trend continues we could see average premiums getting as high as £840. The current average is £740.

With average premiums rising it's even more important to look for the best deals out there, and there are some fairly original offers to take advantage of.

Cashback

Cashback deals may be disappearing in other personal finance fields but they’re positively booming in the car insurance market.

Both Tesco and the AA of the big names are offering cash of £50 and £30 respectively to customers taking up their insurance options. The Tesco offer, though, is available exclusively to Clubcard customers, but taking up one of these is by no means a raw deal and could even make you further savings.

The wider market

Good as these offers are, it’s not a wise move to buy a product on the cash back element alone. With premiums varying widely, £30 of cashback can be insignificant compared to the savings made from one provider to the next.

Fortunately MoneyExpert.com is also offering a cashback deal for car insurance customers. All those applying for car insurance through the website will earn £35 cashback, no matter which policy they opt for. If the premium offered by the AA is the best available, applicants stand to earn £65 in cold hard cash.

All made simple

Cashback promises often look too good to be true, and in many cases problems do crop up that mean you never see the cash. With MoneyExpert.com’s car insurance cashback offer, though, the £35 will be paid directly into your bank account within 60 days of the application being made.

Click here to compare car insurance premiums.