How you could save £200 a year on broadband with a simple check

BROADBAND customers have already started to see their bills hike in price, but you shouldn’t have to pay anymore than you need to for a connection.

You should take the time his weekend, as costs rocket, to check your contract and see if you can “get-out” and get a better deal elsewhere – the simple move could save you up to £200.

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Virgin Media already raised customers bills by an average of £56 last month, and Sky customers have started to see their bills go up by £43 a month too.

BT also hiked prices just before the weekend, just as households were struck with rocketing energy bills and had tax rises added to their plates as well.

Luckily there’s plenty of ways you can bring down your annual outlay.

Haggling with your broadband provider is one way to reduce your bill – but many people dread having to call their supplier and negotiate.

So some experts say the easiest strategy is a simple switch, which means moving away from your current provider to a new one.

The first thing you’ll have to do is check your contract though, as you can’t just jump ship right away.

You have to be out of contract to leave without a penalty – otherwise you could face some hefty charges in the pursuit of finding a better deal.

But if you are out of contract it can be one of the best ways to slash hundreds off your bill.

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Consumer group Which? found that broadband customers who switch away from the “Big Four” providers, which includes BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, can typically save around £190 a year.

TV and broadband customers can save even more – typically over £200.

While this trick only really works if you move from a big company – if this is you, it could save you some serious cash.

If you’re unhappy with what you’re paying, it’s worth shopping around to see if you can get a better deal.

Other provider may have cheaper offers, faster speeds or better perks.

According to Which?, some introductory offers can be up to 90% cheaper than a standard tariff.

If you’re planning on making the move, use comparison sites such as Uswitch, Broadbandchoices and ComparetheMarket to help scour the market.

How else can I save on my broadband?

If there’s no way of avoiding the price hike, you could look at getting help to cover the costs instead.

Millions of households on benefits could save £100s on their broadband bills if they are eligible for cheaper social tariffs.

BT, Community Fibre, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM and Virgin Media O2 all offer social tariffs, which allow you to get cheaper deals.

You’ll need to apply directly with the provider, which will assess your eligibility.

Ofcom estimates these deals could save struggling households up to £150 a year.

To claim, you’ll usually need to be receiving either employment and support allowance, income support, jobseeker’s allowance, or Universal Credit.

Most start from just £15 a month with speeds of up to 50Mbps on offer.

TalkTalk even offers its own FREE broadband, but it’s exclusively for job seekers.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk