Car insurance customers making a claim on their policy with an unprotected no claims discount (NCD) could see the cost of their premiums go up by almost three-quarters, it's suggested.

The average holder of a motor insurance policy with five years' unprotected NCD would have their premiums hiked from £528 to £911, an increase of 73 per cent, according to research by Money Supermarket.

In contrast, the comparison site found that a driver with five years' protected NCD who makes a claim would see a rise of just 18 per cent – from £590 to £694 – in the average price of their premium.

Motor insurance researcher Steve Sweeney noted that policy-holders who build up their NCD over a number of years can avail of "a valuable commodity" and trim the cost of their premiums significantly.

"But be warned, if you protect your policy but don't make a claim for a number of years, you could find that you are eroding any potential savings," he continued.

UK car insurance customers are also reminded that some providers allow multiple claims on protected policies without penalty, while others will allow no more than two claims.

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