SORN in winter months

onwards&upwards

If you had a car you don’t need to use for 4-8 weeks, but that period happens to be over the coldest time of the year, would you SORN it to save a bit of money or keep it on the road and use it pointlessly a couple of times a week to avoid problems with freezing weather/lack of use?

AdrianC

Think of SORN and tax as being whole months only.

So you've already paid for December's tax. SORN it for January? You could. But if you're not using it for "4-8 wks", then that's not up until February... It might not even be all of this month.

How much is 1/12th of your annual VED, anyway?

I'm presuming we're talking about something relatively modern? Just disconnect the battery.

onwards&upwards

AdrianC wrote: »

Think of SORN and tax as being whole months only.

So you've already paid for December's tax. SORN it for January? You could. But if you're not using it for "4-8 wks", then that's not up until February... It might not even be all of this month.

How much is 1/12th of your annual VED, anyway?

I'm presuming we're talking about something relatively modern? Just disconnect the battery.

I won’t have possession of the car until next week and won’t need to use it until probably mid-end of Jan, so in theory I could delay all my running costs, just don’t want to do so at the expense of the battery! It’s a 3 year old small car, only £20 tax it’s more the insurance that will be a saving.

AdrianC

Ah, so you're talking about simply SORNing it on purchase until the end of the month. We can safely ignore the £1.66/mo VED saving, I think.

Well, sure, you can leave it uninsured. But it won't be insured if anything happens to it... Fire, theft, accidental damage.

(I presume you've got somewhere to keep it on private land)

neilmcl

onwards&upwards wrote: »

I won’t have possession of the car until next week and won’t need to use it until probably mid-end of Jan, so in theory I could delay all my running costs, just don’t want to do so at the expense of the battery! It’s a 3 year old small car, only £20 tax it’s more the insurance that will be a saving.

SORNing a car will have no affect on your insurance and for a car with VED of only £20 then there's absolutely little point to do so.

AdrianC

neilmcl wrote: »

SORNing a car will have no affect on your insurance

Not quite true.

You can only have an uninsured car if it's SORNed. You can't have a car without insurance but still taxed.

neilmcl

AdrianC wrote: »

Not quite true.

You can only have an uninsured car if it's SORNed. You can't have a car without insurance but still taxed.

Yeah, you're right of course, I forgot about that. Still, SORNing a car doesn't remove the need for having at least some insurance., unless as you say you have a secure place to keep it.

AdrianC

neilmcl wrote: »

Still, SORNing a car doesn't remove the need for having at least some insurance

Define "need".

It can't be SORNed and left anywhere insurance is legally required, so it's just about whether you feel the risk of leaving it uninsured is worth the saving in premium.

onwards&upwards

AdrianC wrote: »

Ah, so you're talking about simply SORNing it on purchase until the end of the month. We can safely ignore the £1.66/mo VED saving, I think.

Well, sure, you can leave it uninsured. But it won't be insured if anything happens to it... Fire, theft, accidental damage.

(I presume you've got somewhere to keep it on private land)

Yep, i’ve got a garage and a drive about 3 car lengths long so I can even drive it up and down there if needed! :rotfl:

Good point about theft/damage etc. Have to admit I hadn’t thought of that, I live in a pretty safe, low crime area but it would be sod’s law wouldn’t it! Maybe the saving on insurance isn’t going to be worth it after all.

neilmcl

AdrianC wrote: »

Define "need".

It can't be SORNed and left anywhere insurance is legally required, so it's just about whether you feel the risk of leaving it uninsured is worth the saving in premium.

need = risk, in this instance.