This article focuses on UK broadband providers and provides five ways that you could save money on their broadband packages.
Find a Broadband Comparison Website
Any internet search engine will help you find dozens of websites offering broadband comparison services. These websites work by displaying the packages offered by broadband providers in your area. All sites will require you to enter your postcode so that they know where you live and can display the options available to people in your area. Before you do this, always check that Ofcom accredits the website. Ofcom is the independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries and will only give their seal of approval to sites they deem trustworthy.
Carefully Compare Deals
Once you have found a trusted site, enter your postcode and you will see a list of options. You will clearly see the contract length, how much data you can download per month, the speed, calls, offers and costs including line rental. If you have a copy of your current plan, you can compare to see whether changing providers would save you money. There are, however, two pitfalls to avoid.
(1),Don’t forget that some sites will state the monthly cost without the line rental making the deals look cheaper than they really are.
(2),Some of the advertised rates only apply for a fixed period such as one year. As broadband contracts typically last 18 months, a deal with a low initial rate may cost you more overall than a deal with a higher rate fixed throughout the contract.
Bundle Broadband with Other Services
Many people stick with broadband services they chose years ago, despite the fact that the package no longer meets their needs. A common way that people reduce the cost of their broadband service is by tailoring the package to meet their requirements. For example, if your current package includes phone and TV but you only want broadband, switching to a broadband only option would work out cheaper. Alternatively, if you currently pay for your telephone and TV subscriptions separately, bundling broadband with the telephone and TV would likely save you money.
Consider Satellite Broadband If You Live In a Rural Area
Most broadband uses your existing phone line but fibre broadband uses fibre optic cables, where available, to give households fast internet speeds. If fiber broadband is available in your area, that’s your best option. One interesting point is that broadband comparison sites will list fibre broadband but they typically do not list satellite broadband. If fibre broadband is unavailable, satellite broadband may give you a better deal in rural areas than broadband that uses your phone line. If you live in a rural area or an internet ‘dead-spot’, you may want to look at a comparison site that lists satellite providers. Although satellites have installation costs associated with them, they could provide you with faster internet speeds for a more reasonable cost if you live in a rural area.
Call Your Existing Provider
Once you have a clear grasp of the speed and data limits that you require from your broadband service, you can use comparison websites to see whether your existing provider is offering you good value for money. For instance, if your current provider gives you a 10GB per month data limit, you may see another provider offer unlimited data usage for the same price. Before switching, the final thing to try is to call your supplier and ask for your Migration Access Codes (MACs) and your usage. If you do switch, you will need this information anyway. Just asking for your MACs will tell your supplier that you are thinking of leaving and you’ll be transferred to the retention department. Staff there will try to convince you to stay and will offer you deals to match or beat other offers.