Do you know how long you have left on your broadband contract? Could it that the date’s passed by without you even noticing? If you’re out of contract, there’s a good chance you’re paying too much for your internet. But with a bit of research and a simple switch, you could quickly bring that monthly bill down.
There are currently millions of broadband customers who are out of contract and paying a premium for their internet access. Providers are driven to attract new sign-ups with enticing prices and bundled freebies, not usually offering unprompted deals to those already with them. Regularly switching or renegotiating as soon as you’re able is the best way to make the most of this marketing and cut down on one of your direct debits.
What’s the easiest way to reduce my broadband bill?
Broadband contracts tend to be a fixed-term length of either 12, 18 or 24 months. Your first port of call when that time’s up and you’re looking to switch is to get on the phone and speak to your provider. You may find there are existing customer offers available to you with a bit of bartering. If you have a log-in for your account, you might be able to see these for yourself and not even have to speak to anyone – bonus!
Although this might help you save a bit of money, negotiating an existing contract is unlikely to lead you to the best deals. New sign-ups sometimes have extra incentives such as gift vouchers which you probably won’t be offered if you’re simply renewing and sticking with the same provider.
Before you even start looking around think about whether your existing broadband contract suits your household. Ask yourself honestly if you’ve been using all the features you’ve previously been paying for. Did you watch any of the entertainment channels bundled in with your last contract? Did you use any of the inclusive landline calls or did you still prefer to use your mobile phone? Would it be feasible to downgrade to a slower (and cheaper) package? Would a slower package still suit your family’s needs? Getting rid of any unneeded features would be a very quick way to give you more options for cheaper deals.
What’s the best way to save money on your broadband contract?
With all that in mind, switching your provider will usually help you save the most and it’s not as difficult or time-consuming as you might think. Nowadays, the process is seamless – your new service provider will do most of the work for you.
Just remember, if you switch to a different network, you’re responsible for cancelling the old service.
It won’t happen overnight, so a bit of patience and forward planning is involved. The process normally takes around 14 days.
If you are moving to a provider on a different network using a separate line, you could plan your cancellation date to overlap with the start date of your new broadband. This will allow you to continue to stay online if there are any issues on switchover day.
How to compare broadband deals
You can easily see all the broadband options available in your area by using a postcode checker. Using a comparison site allows you to cross-check important features such as monthly cost, speed and contract length, as well as view any special reward deals that are currently in place.
Whilst the lure of a £70 gift card might look very appealing, it’s worth taking the time to think about the actual cost in the long run and how this will affect your budget – especially if you’re tied into the deal for as long as two years.
If you want to dig a little deeper to find out which of the broadband offers gives you the best value for money, you can use this handy formula to find out the effective monthly cost, which takes into account all the fees and extras:
Monthly price x contract length + setup fees – free gift / contract length.
Think about who will be using the internet at home and how they will be using it. A slow download speed will soon become very annoying if you can’t stream a YouTube video or watch a film without your connection stalling. To avoid this always try and go for the fastest broadband you can afford.
If you sign up to a package and realise it’s not up to scratch, it’s not the end of the world. Once you start a new broadband contract, you’re free to leave your contract within a 14-day “cooling off period” if you’re not happy with the service.
You’ll always get the best value for money by switching for a new broadband deal or renegotiating a contract when you’re at the end of your term. Stay organised, mark this date in your calendar or set a reminder on your phone so you know when you’re free to make a switch and get saving!
