HOUSEHOLDS are facing price rises across the board from food to energy costs – and broadband bills aren’t getting off lightly either.
Virgin Media raised customers bills by an average of £56 while Sky customers have seen bills go up by £43 from this month.
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Plus plenty more broadband providers are also hiking their prices including BT.
But many people may not realise they could qualify for cheaper tariffs, especially if they’re on benefits or receiving Universal Credit.
Many providers offer discounted packages, sometimes known as “social tariffs”.
While it’s estimated that up to 4.2million households could be eligible for these deals, regular Ofcom says only around 55,000 homes have taken advantage of the offers.
If you qualify for a social tariff, it could save you up to £144 a year, as they’re often considerably cheaper than standard deals.
To help households keep down the cost of their broadband, we’ve rounded up the cheapest tariffs you could be eligible for right now.
Vodafone
Vodafone expanded eligibility for its social tariff for Voxi customers amid the cost of living crisis today.
Voxi, which is part of Vodafone, is offering its half a million customers unlimited 5G data, calls and texts for £10 a month for up to six months if they are getting certain benefits.
You usually pay £35 for these Sim-only services at full price, meaning you could save £25 a month – or £150 over the full six months.
Anyone getting the Voxi for Now Tariff won’t need to sign up to a contract, and they can pause or cancel the plan at any time.
There’s also no credit check and you’ll need to show evidence of getting benefits when you signing up.
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Sky
Sky launched a cheaper broadband tariff to those on low incomes yesterday.
The new £20 a month deal is called Sky Broadband Basics and will be for existing Sky customers who are getting Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
The new tariff will offer 36M/bs broadband for 18 months, and usually that costs £25 a month – so you could save £90 over that time.
If you need to cancel the contract at any time, you won’t be charged a fee for leaving.
At the end of the 18 months, you’ll return to the standard rate at the time, but you’ll be told how much this is ahead of time.
The same deal is available if you have Now TV, which is part of Sky.
Usually Now broadband costs £25 a month, so you could save £5 a month, or £60 over a year if you’re on Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
Now TV’s broadband deal is pay monthly, and you’ll need to give at least 31 days notice if you want to leave, but there’s no termination fee.
For both tariffs you’ll need to show that you are in receipt of these benefits.
Other broadband providers
BT, Community Fibre, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM and Virgin Media O2 also offer broadband deals at discounted rates to households struggling to afford internet.
These packages are priced at between £10-£20 a month for broadband speeds ranging from 10Mbit/s to 67Mbit/s.
Lindsey Fussell, networks and communications group director at Ofcom, said: “People rely on their broadband for staying in touch, working and learning from home. But for those who are really struggling with rising bills, every penny counts.
“Special discounts can make all the difference, and too many broadband firms are failing either to promote their social tariff or to offer one at all.
“We expect companies to step up support for those on low incomes, and we’ll be watching their response.”
More on broadband costs – we explain a simple check that could save £200 a year on your internet bills.
Plus, here’s how you can switch broadband mid-contract with no fees as providers.
Meanwhile, we round up a full list of benefits rising from this week – including Universal Credit and child benefit.
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