Car insurance rebates mailed

It's not quite the lottery, but Manitobans, who already pay among the lowest rates for car insurance in the country, can expect a little financial reward sometime this week.

The average customer will receive a refund of about $110 after Manitoba Public Insurance mailed out 550,000 cheques on Tuesday. That's a saving of approximately 10 per cent on the basic Autopac premium for 2005-06.
A Consumers Association of Canada study in 2005 found the average premium in Manitoba was $1,096.82, second lowest in the country after Saskatchewan.

It's the third time in the past six years the Public Utilities Board has directed MPI to issue the payments, but apparently not everyone collects their due.

"Last year nearly 15,000 cheques were returned, and we're still keeping those cheques in a safe place, waiting for their owners to contact us," said John Douglas, vice-president of corporate public affairs.

The total value of the current rebates is about $60 million, or $200 million over the past six years.

Source : http://www.cbc.ca