Haven’t checked your broadband in two years? You could be wasting £452 a year
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If your broadband contract has been sitting untouched for more than two years, experts say you could be paying far more than necessary. Here’s what to check before another bill lands.
If you haven’t checked your broadband deal in the past two years, there’s a good chance you’re paying too much.
That’s the warning from broadband experts who say millions of households are letting cheap introductory deals expire, then drifting onto much more expensive rolling contracts.
New research highlighted by Broadband Genie found customers stay with the same provider for an average of three years and five months. That means many people could be spending well over a year paying post-contract prices when cheaper broadband deals may be available.
Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, said: “If you haven’t reviewed your broadband deal in the past two years, you’re almost certainly overpaying.”
The reason is simple. Many broadband contracts run for around 24 months at a discounted rate. Once that deal ends, the price can jump sharply.
According to the research, staying loyal could cost some households up to £452 a year, making it worth checking what broadband deals are available at your address before your current contract rolls over.
And switching is not the hassle it used to be.
Under the industry-wide One Touch Switch system, you generally only need to contact the provider you want to move to. Your new provider then handles the switch, including cancelling your old service.
So before renewing, compare the real cost rather than automatically accepting whatever your current provider offers.
Start with speed. Broadband Genie suggests around 50Mb for a two-person household, adding roughly 10Mb for each extra person. If several people are gaming, streaming or downloading at once, you may need more.
Then look beyond the headline monthly price. Setup fees, gift cards, contract length and future price rises can all change the real cost. A deal that looks cheap at first glance may not be the best value overall.
It is also worth checking for broadband deals with better long-term pricing, particularly if your current provider applies annual price increases.
Households receiving Universal Credit or certain other benefits should also check whether they qualify for a cheaper social tariff.
The simplest rule is this: once your broadband deal is approaching two years old, check it.
Spend a few minutes comparing broadband deals in your area, check the total contract cost and make sure you are not paying for speed you do not need.
Broadband is one of those bills that is easy to ignore. But leaving it untouched for too long could mean quietly wasting hundreds of pounds a year.