One of the biggest positives of the working from home economy seen over the last 12 months has been the affordability of motoring, with drivers seeing huge drops in their usual monthly car expenses.

New data published by Direct Line this week has found that with fewer drivers actually using their cars in 2020, the average car owner has spent £670 less than they normally would.

With motorists making 2.3 fewer journeys than average during the pandemic, it comes as no surprise that we are spending on average £20 less on petrol or diesel - a stunning hit of £780.6million for those petrol station owners.

But it is not just fuel costs which have kept us in the black on motoring expenses. With 13.9 million car owners having driven fewer miles than their insurance policy allows, many insurers have paid this back in the form of a bonus payment. Direct Line are actually one of those, with their Mileage MoneyBack initiative, with policy holders able to claw back two per cent of their total annual premium for every 1,000 they don’t drive.

Other savings to be made by drivers include maintenance (MOT, car wash) with an average saving of £13.70 a month. Repairs are down in cost, as is the cost of parking.

But as lockdown rules are relaxed, Direct Line’s head of motor insurance, Lorraine Price has warned that drivers need to be extra vigilant as they return to their cars.

“Lockdown has undoubtedly changed the relationship many of us have with our cars. With more people working from home and not being able to leave the house unless for an essential journey, vehicles aren’t moving as much as they used to,” she said.

“While it’s great to see many being able to save some money during these difficult times, it is important to remember to carry out simple checks to ensure cars operate safely when you do need them.

“Life changes were made so abruptly last year that people weren’t able to factor reduction in mileage into policies early on in the year. We want to support our customers in any way we can, that’s why we want to make sure that if customers drive less, they also pay a little less.”

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