MILLIONS of broadband customers face a double whammy of price rises this spring.
Uswitch has revealed that seven million customers are overpaying for internet by as much as £162, simply because they are out of contract.
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But they’re also going to be stung by inflation-busting price rises that are on the way, if they’ve not been hit already.
Virgin Media already raised customers bills by an average of £56, and Sky customers will see bills go up by £43 next month.
Plus plenty more broadband providers are hiking their bills too.
A cost of living crisis is pushing up the price of everything from the supermarket shop to energy, and internet bills aren’t getting off lightly either.
Uswitch revealed that out-of-contract households overpay by £162 compared to those with a broadband deal on average.
Annual price rises for out-of-contract broadband customers vary between 5.4% and 9.3%, the comparison experts explained.
But for your bill, it depends on when your original deal was taken out and which provider you are with.
If you are out of contract though, you can lower prices by switching.
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Adelana Carty, broadband expert at Uswitch said: “If you are out of contract with your broadband supplier, there has never been a better time to save yourself money.
“Do a comparison today and see what deals are available.”
It’s the simplest way to start paying a cheaper rate – but it only really works for out of contract customers as they won’t face penalties for leaving.
If that’s you it means you can “jump ship” to a better deal and start paying less – but you have to have a shop around to find what works best for your needs.
How can you avoid the rises?
If you’re planning to switch, use comparison sites like Uswitch, Broadbandchoices and ComparetheMarket to find the best contract for you.
Switching means you can have a clean break from your supplier, and saves having to haggle with staff.
Many people dread having to call their supplier and negotiate – but that’s not to say it doesn’t work as well.
Sometimes simply asking does do the trick too.
Call your provider and explain you’re not happy – it may be able to offer you a better deal.
One Virgin Media customer managed to save £210 on their broadband bill that way.
You should do some research first so you can give evidence of better deals you can get elsewhere though.
Uswitch reveals that the cheapest tariff right now is Vodafone’s Superfast 2, for example – it costs £19 a month but you’re tied in for 24 months.
You have to consider that you’d be with the supplier for that long when you enter the contract though – so weigh up whether that works for you and that you can afford it.
In comparison, something like Cukoo’s Fast Broadband is a one month rolling contract, but it’s a bit steeper at £29.99 a month.
Millions of households on benefits could save £100s on their broadband bills if they take advantage of the right help too.
BT, Community Fibre, G.Network, Hyperoptic, KCOM and Virgin Media O2 all offer social tariffs, which allow you to enter cheaper deals, but only if you’re eligible.
You’ll need to apply directly with the provider, which will assess your eligibility.
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.
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