With energy, phone and water bills all going up in price, household budgets are getting tighter and tighter. Now more than ever, it’s become so important to make sure you’re getting the most out of your broadband package. If you’re not, you could be getting a better deal, a stronger service and faster speeds at a much cheaper price.
With many of us working from home or hybrid working, broadband packages have become much more affordable and adaptable to our lifestyles. However, if you’re simply not getting your money’s worth out of your broadband, you could definitely find a cheaper option elsewhere to keep your costs down.
As a Deals Writer, I search for the best deals on broadband packages to help T3 readers save money. Here are my top tips on how to save money on your broadband and the best providers to go with.
Switch providers
With the cost of living price hikes, some broadband providers are increasing their prices, either during or at the end of your contract. Your broadband provider will have notified you of this but if you don’t want to pay more or you don’t think you’re getting the most out of your money, you should consider switching providers.
Switching to a new broadband provider is a great way to save money. When you sign up to a new package, you’ll typically get access to affordable introductory offers as a new customer which is much cheaper than your standard pricing. This can save you hundreds of pounds monthly and annually so it’s definitely worth considering if your current prices are going up or you’re not enjoying your contract. By comparing broadband deals, packages and prices, you can find the best deals and discounts from a whole range of providers, plus exclusive offers and incentives like gift cards and free subscriptions.
Consider length, speeds & extras
Whether you’re signing up to a new provider or you’re weighing the pros and cons of your current one, it’s important to establish what you need and want from your broadband package. This can help you determine what you’re willing to pay for as you could be spending way more than you should on features you don’t use.
My main aspects to look at are contract lengths, speeds and extras. 12 month contracts are the most popular as they’re more flexible but longer contracts like 18 or 24 months can offer bigger discounts and better features. Due to the pandemic, we’ve all had to rely more on our home broadband so speed is especially important if you’re a home or hybrid worker. Picking a lower average speed is going to be a lot cheaper but if you do choose super fibre speeds, you can also find good deals on this too. Finally, extras are always handy to have, like streaming and download features, free reward cards, data boosts or simply having the option to try your new package for a month and if you don’t like it, you can get your money back.
Bundle your broadband with other services
If you pay for other services around the home like phone or TV bills, you can save money by bundling all these services together under one provider. Many providers like Sky and Vodafone offer broadband, TV, mobile phone and home phone services so you can bundle them all together into one big package. This often comes at a discounted price and it makes paying bills a lot easier.
Haggle at the end of your contract
If you’ve been with the same provider for a long time, you might not want to go through the hassle of switching. However, if your prices are going up and you’re finding it hard to pay the bills, try negotiating with your current provider as you reach the end of your contract. If you’ve been a dedicated customer for a while, chances are you will be rewarded in some way, whether that’s with gift cards or money off your monthly bills.
While haggling isn’t a sure fire way to get the costs down, I still suggest contacting them to go through any changes to your bill and any issues you have with the service. In general, your provider will want to keep you and will work hard to improve your experience and meet your needs so it doesn’t hurt to try!
Which provider has the best broadband deals?
With so many broadband providers, speeds and packages to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the best deal and prices. That’s why we put together our broadband comparison guide so you can compare packages from different providers. Check out the table below for the best broadband deals this month.
If you want more advice, I’d recommend having a look at the following providers: Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone, Three, Virgin Media and Plusnet. These companies have affordable prices, fast speeds and you can find bundle deals where you can save money on your broadband, phone and TV bills. For more money saving tips, check out how to find a cheap phone deal and how to save money on new and old TVs.
