When consumers shop for insurance can affect the price they are quoted.
Many UK insurers now apply different pricing approaches at weekends compared to the working week. Analysis of day-on-day price movements for the same insurance risks shows that premiums can vary depending on when a customer shops, even when the risk and cover remain unchanged.
As a result, consumers shopping at weekends often see different prices than those shopping mid-week for identical risks and identical cover.
In motor insurance, those differences can be substantial.
Our analysis of November pricing data shows that weekend pricing is not a single behaviour, but a set of distinct and repeatable strategies across both home and motor insurance. The analysis tracks day-by-day price movements for the same risks, based on the average of the five cheapest quotes returned per risk (P1–P5).
In the home insurance market, November pricing data shows two clear groups of insurers applying weekend premium reductions.
One group applied moderate reductions, typically around 1.5%–2.0% on Saturdays, before reverting to weekday pricing on Monday. A second group applied deeper reductions, generally around 2.5%–3.0%, again reversing those movements at the start of the following week.
Alongside these two groups, one insurer followed a different pattern, increasing premiums at weekends before reversing those increases early the following week. This behaviour may reflect operational considerations, such as differences in weekend servicing or call centre availability, and contrasts with the broader weekend reduction patterns observed elsewhere in the market.
Taken together, these strategies resulted in weekend home insurance premiums averaging around £2 lower, or approximately 1% cheaper, than weekday pricing across November, though not in every week (weekend premiums were lower than weekday levels in three of the four weeks analysed, and higher in one).
Motor insurance: three distinct weekend strategies
Weekend pricing behaviour in motor insurance is more pronounced and more varied. November pricing data shows three distinct weekend pricing patterns, all following a consistent three-day structure.
One group applied moderate price reductions on Saturdays, typically around 1%–2%, followed by smaller additional adjustments on Sundays, before reversing those movements on Monday.
A second group applied much larger Saturday reductions, often exceeding 5%, with limited additional movement on Sundays, before a Monday reversion that broadly rebalanced weekend pricing.
A third group followed a Sunday-led pattern, with little or no price movement on Saturdays, clear reductions on Sundays, and a subsequent Monday reversal.
Across these strategies, weekend motor insurance premiums averaged around £45 lower, or approximately 4% cheaper, than weekday pricing during November. In some weeks, the difference exceeded £80, with weekend premiums more than 7% lower than weekday levels.
What this means for consumers
From the consumer’s perspective, weekend pricing introduces a simple but important dynamic. Two customers with the same risk, buying the same product, can pay materially different prices depending purely on when they shop.
For motor insurance in particular, shopping at the weekend can result in meaningful savings. For home insurance, the financial impact is smaller, but the inconsistency remains.
Most consumers will not be aware that timing alone can affect the price they see.
The fairness question
Weekend pricing does not automatically mean unfair pricing.
There may be legitimate reasons for price variation, including differences in distribution costs, operational capacity, or servicing models.
However, where price differences are driven primarily by demand timing or competitive optimisation, rather than cost or service differences, a fair value question emerges.
Under Consumer Duty, firms need to be confident they can explain why the same risk costs more on one day than another, and how that outcome delivers fair value to the customer.
What this means for insurers
Three practical considerations follow.
First, insurers need to understand how their prices compare on weekends versus weekdays. Weekly or monthly averages can mask meaningful day-of-week effects.
Second, the consumer impact matters. In motor insurance, small percentage movements translate into large cash differences.
Third, weekend pricing strategies need to be assessed through a fair value lens. If a customer paid more on a Tuesday than a Sunday, could the rationale be clearly explained and defended?
What to do next
Weekend pricing is now sufficiently widespread that its impacts extend beyond individual competitive positioning. It affects conversion patterns, model reliability, and regulatory risk across the market. For pricing teams, understanding what competitors do on weekends is just the starting point. Understanding what it means for your own data, your models, and your regulatory position matters more.
Pricing teams should be asking three questions:
- How do our weekend prices compare to our weekday prices for the same risks?
- How does that pattern compare to the wider market?
- Are the consumer outcomes intentional, understood, and defensible?
Consumer Intelligence tracks day-on-day pricing movements across UK general insurance, enabling insurers to benchmark their positioning and understand the consumer impact of timing-driven pricing strategies. Our intelligence captures not just individual insurer strategies but the cumulative market effects those strategies create.
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