INDIANAPOLIS — Pricey car insurance is prompting our antennas to go up. 

Gregory & Appel Insurance advisor Natasha Mecklenburg said their group is hearing from customers daily. 

“It’s been our topic of conversation every single day,” Mecklenburg said. 

The 22% price hike is happening for a few reasons. 

“Claims,” Mecklenburg said, “Believe it or not, weather-related claims. We have a ton of hailstorms. (When) we think of hurricanes in Florida, a majority of those claims are all car insurance.”

Auto thefts are also surging, with the National Insurance Crime Bureau reporting more than a million cars stolen last year.

Then, there’s the cost of fixing cars.

“All the electronic gadgets that we’re seeing in E-cars. They’re a lot pricier to repair and the wait time for the parts to come in is a lot longer than we anticipate,” Mecklenburg said. 

For example, replacing a standard side mirror can be $300 to $500. If you add the driver assistance features, that mirror’s price can be between $1,000 to $2,500, according to the Insurance Information Institute. 

If you are looking for ways to save money on insurance, pull out your policy and talk to a broker who can shop it around with multiple carriers.

Next, make sure your life information is up to date. Did you change ZIP codes? Did a kid move out? Are you working remotely? All of that can impact your price.

Then, look at your coverages.

Ask your broker what is at risk if you lower or leave out any optional protections. A higher deductible can also lower your premium. 

Those can include personal traits, like being a good driver, employer, alumni or military affiliations, and policy preferences — like being paperless.

Your credit score can also impact how much you pay for car insurance.

Insurance comparison website Value Penguin found drivers with poor credit pay on average $144 per month more for full coverage than those with good credit.

Improving your credit score starts with paying your bills on time.