Insurance and warranty specialist MB&G is warning drivers to switch on their air conditioning this winter in order to avoid costly future repair bills.

MB&G has experienced first hand that by simply switching on your air conditioning system for a few hours a week in the warm summer months is not enough to keep it functioning healthily all year round and could cause the system to stop working altogether.

Using the air conditioning regularly over the winter months keeps the system charged and working to full capacity, but if left unused for six months, could reduce capacity by up to 30%.

This means it becomes less effective, and makes it work harder putting added strain on the engine, while also using more fuel.

With some air conditioning systems on modern cars costing up to £1,000 to replace, MB&G is urging drivers to switch their system on for a couple of hours each week to avoid these costly maintenance bills.

"At MB&G we see many claiming on faulty air conditioning systems," said Allan Simpson, MB&G’s claims manager.

"These systems need recharging on a regular basis to ensure they are working to their maximum capabilities."