MARTIN Lewis has urged four million Brits missing out on cheap broadband if they’re eligible to get a better deal.
If you claim Universal Credit and other benefits, you could qualify for special tariffs that are cheaper.
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One in 10 low income households are struggling to afford their home broadband service.
But around 4.2million families could be losing out on the discounted rate, which could bag you a £144 saving on your bills per year.
Only 55,000 homes have made the most of the deal though, regulator Ofcom says – just 1.2% of all households who are eligible.
Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert has said the deals are “unbeatable price-wise” in its latest weekly newsletter.
So it’s worth checking if you are able to apply for them.
The savings will be a relief for hard-up families who are battling against a cost of living crisis.
Bills from energy to food through to fuel and transport are going up.
Soaring inflation is adding £180 a year to grocery bills and soaring crude oil prices are pushing up prices at the pumps.
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While the energy price cap has been hiked to £1,971 a year – adding £693 onto families’ bills.
But who offers the rates, and how do you apply? We explain all you need to know.
Who offers social tariffs?
Currently six broadband providers – BT, Community Fibre, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM and Virgin Media O2 – offer at least one specially discounted deal to those claiming benefits.
But not all providers currently offer cheaper rates for cash-strapped customers.
Providers including EE, Plusnet, Shell, Sky, TalkTalk and Vodafone still do not offer a social tariff.
It’s meant Ofcom has called for this to change, urging companies to offer less expensive rates to those who need it.
Who is eligible for the deals varies slightly depending on who your provider is.
But in general, you can get the lower rates if you are on benefits including Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Personal Independence Payment, Income Support – and more.
You can check which deals are available by using a price comparison tool offered by MoneySavingExpert, Uswitch or CompareTheMarket.
How much could I save?
Packages are priced between £10-£20 a month for broadband speeds ranging from 10Mbit/s to 67Mbit/s.
The average bill for low income families not on a special tariff is £34.50 a month.
That means you could be saving £14.50 a month on your bills on average – which over the year comes to £174.
How else can I lower my broadband bill?
If you’re not eligible for social tariffs but you’re struggling to pay your bills, there are other ways to lower them.
For example, haggling your bills could save you nearly £250 a year, research from Which? shows.
To do this, the first thing to do is find out what the cheapest deal on the market is.
Then, use this rate as a bargaining tool to get a better offer with your provider.
If they don’t match this rate, might want to switch to the cheaper one you found instead.
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