MILLIONS of broadband and TV customers can save can slash their bills by simply asking for a discount.
Most households are usually aware that switching providers can be the best way to cut down on costs.
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But this only tends to be beneficial when your current broadband and TV contract ends.
Over 4.2million broadband customers are out of contract right now and Uswitch is recommending these customers act before bills rise in April.
Switching mid-contract often means you’ll be forced to pay a hefty exit fee which could be worth £100s.
So, it’s usually best to wait until your current deal ends before you swap to a new one.
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But if you can’t wait for your contract to lapse or you don’t want to leave your current company, haggling down the price is another great solution.
One Sky broadband and TV customer has shared how, thanks to a simple tweak to her TV package, she’s slashed her annual bill by £72.
Melisa Bailey posted on the Extreme Couponing and Bargains UK Facebook group and said: “I’ve recently re-done my sky package as we were going out of contract, downgraded my broadband as the deal had finished, and my apps now connect quicker.
“But I also took the £4 Netflix offer, which includes adverts.
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“This is a £6 difference from the previous package I was on.
“The adverts run very infrequently, and I’m happy to save the £72 a year as it’s a week’s free food shopping!”
By ditching and switching to a service that isn’t necessarily needed, Melisa has managed to slash her bill over a simple phone call.
Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, says: “The starting point to saving money is to look at what you’re paying for and see what you actually need.
“Most people shouldn’t be paying for multiple streaming services at the same time, as it’s unlikely you need them all at once.
“You can make significant savings by subscribing to one at a time and binge-watching a series or the movies on offer and then cancelling once you’ve had enough.
“While adverts aren’t for everyone, the ad-supported plans offered by the likes of Netflix and Disney+ can significantly lower your monthly outgoings.”
Disney+ customers can switch from the regular £7.99 per month “standard” package, to the “standard with ads” package for £1.99 per month for the first three months, moving up to £4.99 every month after the discounted period.
The same goes for Netflix “standard” customers who can choose to pay £10.99 per month for no adds or £4.99 a month for an add-supporter service.
Alex added: “On average, most platforms will only show about four minutes of ads every hour, so you might not find them too disruptive.”
If you want to cut other parts of your bill and stay with your current telecom provider, we’ve provided some haggling tips to follow below.
How do I haggle with my provider?
If you want to stick with your current provider – or any early exit penalties mean it’s not worth switching away – haggling down your bill is easy, and it shouldn’t affect your current contract.
Call the telecom company and say you’re unhappy with the price.
You can tell them you’ve found a better price somewhere else or that, as a loyal customer, you want to know if you can get a better deal.
The worst they can say is no, and you’re no worse off, you’ll know then that it’s time to shop around for a cheaper deal.
The first thing to do is find out what the cheapest deal on the market is.
You can use this rate as a bargaining tool to get a better offer from your provider.
Visit comparison sites like Uswitch or Comparethemarket to do this, and find the best deals on the market.
Contact your provider to see if they can match any better rates – if not, you might want to switch instead.
The average telecom customer will see their broadband prices rise by £27.19 a year and mobile bills by £24.23 a year.
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But the exact amount your bills will rise will depend on your supplier and current contracted bill amount.
We’ve all the tips and tricks you need to follow to beat the price hike.
