Beat BT, Sky and Virgin Media with bill-slashing tips from UK broadband expert
The spring might bring sunnier weather to the UK but your monthly finances will soon be dampened. All of the UK's biggest broadband suppliers - including BT, Sky and Virgin Media - have announced huge price rises are coming soon with some bills set to rocket by a whopping 8.8% from April.
That increase will mean those paying £60 per month for their broadband access now will suddenly see that increase to over £65 in just a few week's time.
HERE'S WHAT EACH PROVIDER IS ADDING TO BILLS
• VIRGIN MEDIA - Virgin Media has confirmed that customers will be hit by hikes of up to 8.8% from April 1.
• BT BROADBAND - BT says that the majority of its users face hikes of up to 7.9% from March 31.
• SKY - Sky users won't have to pay quite so much with the firm adding 6.7% to bills from April 1.
If those hikes have got you a little hot under the collar it seems there is a way to beat the increases. The team at Broadband Savvy has just revealed 5 golden rules that could help you slash those bills rather than paying more. These include calling your provider, switching services and checking your speeds aren't too fast for what you really need.
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Here are five top tips that could help cut your bills.
CHECK YOUR SPEEDS
We all want faster speeds but do you actually need them? Only really busy homes with loads of connected devices will benefit from ultrafast broadband and if you only watch the odd bit of Netflix and send some emails you could be wasting serious money. For example, a basic 60Mbps package can cost under £25 but switch things up to 500Mbps and you'll pay over £40.
"If you're out of contract and currently shopping for a new broadband deal, it pays to make sure that you're not wasting money on bandwidth you don't really need," explained Tom Paton, founder of broadbandsavvy.com.
"While fast fibre broadband is great to have, it's also very expensive. We've found that many British families pay for much more bandwidth than they actually need, given how many people live at home, and how they use the internet."
"For example, if you're a two-person household on a 100 megabit broadband plan, you should be able to save at least £60 per year by switching to a 36 megabit package, without facing any buffering while watching videos, or dropouts when using Zoom."
CHECK SOCIAL TARIFFS
It's a well-known fact that millions are not taking up the offer of so-called Social Tariffs. These vastly cheaper plans, which start from around £15 per month offer basic speeds to those claiming certain benefits.
All of the major ISPs offer these options so it's worth checking to see how much you could save. Also, most social tariffs are exempt from mid-contract price rises.
"Some people aren't aware of this, but many broadband providers offer special social tariffs for those in need. If you're on benefits, you might be eligible to access a cheaper broadband plan," Patton added.
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RING YOUR PROVIDER
If you are struggling to afford things it's worth calling your provider for help as most will offer some kind of assistance.
Explaining more Patton said: "If you're locked into a broadband contract and are struggling to pay your bills, it's always worth calling your provider and asking for help."
"Many broadband providers will help to move you to a cheaper tariff, if you can prove that you are struggling to pay the bills. Others have an emergency fund that's designed to help their most vulnerable customers who are in serious need. And finally, most broadband providers offer payment plans if you're behind on your bills, helping you to minimise the amount of late fees you have to pay."
FED UP WITH CONTRACT HIKES? THEN SWITCH
While the majority of major broadband providers will increase your monthly cost each year in line with inflation, even if you're in contract, there are some providers that promise to leave their prices unchanged.
According to Broadband Savvy, the following broadband providers don't have a clause in their terms and conditions that gives them the right to implement inflation-linked price rises:
- Zen Internet
- SSE
- Hyperoptic
- Sky (they may increase prices mid-contract, but you can choose to leave)
NOW Broadband also offers a month-to-month contract, meaning that if they increase prices, you can immediately choose to switch to a different provider.
DITCH FIBRE AND OPT FOR 4G INSTEAD
Rather than using fibre broadband to connect to the internet, it's also possible to use 4G technology to get online. Many major mobile networks sell 4G routers bundled with a data SIM plan, making it easy to get set up with a 4G internet connection.
Right now, Three Mobile even has a deal that's offering a 4G connection for half the usual price which means you'll pay just £11 per month for internet access.
"Many people are ditching fibre broadband for 4G these days, because it's cheaper and more flexible, while still offering good download speeds," Patton revealed
"With a 4G router, you can get download speeds of around 30-40 megabits, including unlimited data, for a lower price than you would pay for a similar fibre broadband deal. And with 4G technology, you can get a flexible pay as you go data plan, meaning you don't need to lock into a long-term contract, like you do with most broadband providers."
"The downside to using 4G instead of fibre broadband is your latency will be higher. This means that you may experience more lag when playing online games like FIFA or Minecraft."
"Also, before buying a 4G router, you need to ensure you have good 4G signal at your address. You can do this by using the coverage checker on the website of the mobile network you're considering using."
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