I have maximum no-claims bonus but have had to pay more than double for insurance just because I reversed a car into a stationery vehicle at Tesco's two weeks after my husband died! They "protect" no-claims bonus but then up the premium if you have had an accident!

Imagine how much it would have been without the no claims. No claim discount gives you a % deduction to what the quote should have been.

Without an accident your quote would have been £500 then reduce for no claims discount, now £400.

With an accident your quote would have been £1000 then reduce for no claims discount, now £800.

NCD provides a discount, protected NCD seems in my experience to do relatively little/nothing, it is an enigma of the insurance industry. It has been proven that you pay more than you gain from protected NCD unless a claim is made in the first year, apparently.

Change your insurer!

Elephant had a go at increasing mine after someone went into the back of me a few years ago - a non fault claim, and the only incident I've had in over 15 years.

Changed provider and it ended up cheaper than it was with elephant prior to the incident.

I now shop it every year via a broker on a multicar policy which gives you some leverage, as being loyal to a particular company seems to get you very little...

Quotes for new customers seems little more than a random number generator, and renewals are just a way of trying it on.

I did just change my insurer, to Bank of Scotland, from Swiftcover, who had pissed me off. The thing is that there was no claim made regarding the accident because the other driver had no tax and, I suspect, no insurance. But because I reported it, it is still on the CUE database. I have asked Swiftcover to update the CUE record to say no payout was made, but they are taking their time because I'm not a customer any more. (I have the Coupe with Footman James, this policy is for my Alfa jalopy.)