WITH household bills rising faster than wages, everybody is feeling the pinch.
But you could save £170 a year on average by haggling to find the best broadband, phone and telly deal, according to price comparison service Uswitch.
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This week, Sun Money’s Rosie Murray-West explains how to get those prices down.
TAKE STOCK
IF you haven’t changed your broadband, landline and television providers recently, the chances are you’re paying over the odds.
Most providers put their broadband prices up by more than nine per cent on March 31.
If you are still within a contract with your provider you may have no choice but to pay the new prices, but there are deals available for those who can switch.
The first step towards cheaper bills is to find out what you are paying now, either by looking through old emails or by phoning your provider.
Establish the broadband speed you are getting and whether a landline phone is included. If you have television included, make a note of which channels.
Are you still tied into a contract? If you are, then you may not be able to switch quite yet.
Myron Jobson, personal finance expert at investment group Interactive Investor, said that if you are out of contract, it is time to switch or haggle.
He explains: “If you’ve been with a broadband provider for a while, it is likely that any introductory offers will have expired, and you might be paying more than you need to.”
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WHAT DO YOU NEED?
MANY of us pay for bells and whistles on our entertainment and broadband packages that we do not actually need.
Cutting back can save pounds, says Anita Naik, the lifestyle editor at discount code site vouchercodes.co.uk, who saved £48 a month recently by doing just this.
Anita switched from BT, where she was paying £68 a month for broadband, to Talk Talk for a similar package for £23.50.
She advises: “Have a good think about what you actually use.
“Do you need that superfast internet if you’re mainly working back in the office again? Do you need hundreds of TV channels if all you watch is Netflix or Freeview channels?”
BECOME A DEAL HUNTER
THE next step is to find out the best deals available.
Websites such as Uswitch, Compare the Market and Broadband Choices will all help you to compare different packages to find what is right for you.
Don’t just choose on price, however. You may want a faster internet speed, extra television channels or a landline with an answering service.
Sometimes companies offer special deals to persuade people to switch, such as online gift cards or cashback, so once you’ve found a deal that works for you it is worth checking whether other comparison websites offer a sweetener.
Cashback sites such as Quidco or Topcashback are also worth checking, with Quidco currently offering £75 for switches to Now Broadband, for example.
If customer service is important to you then check complaints scores.
Recent complaints from data regulator Ofcom shows that Shell Energy received the most complaints per 100,000 subscribers, while Sky and EE received the least.
BUYER BEWARE
YOU may end up paying far more than you expect if broadband prices rise during your contract period.
Providers are allowed to raise prices while you are still in contract if it is in their terms and conditions. These rises are usually pegged to inflation, which is very high right now.
From the middle of next month, Ofcom is bringing in a new rule obliging firms to give all new customers a simple example of how monthly prices could increase over the course of the contract.
An Ofcom spokesman said: “We already have strict rules in place that mean companies must set out price rises clearly before customers sign up, and cannot just include them in the small print.”
The change should make it easier for customers to understand what they will end up paying in total.
Check the length of your contract too, so that you don’t get locked in for too long.
HOW TO HAGGLE
HAGGLING with an existing provider can save cash without the switching hassle.
The best time to do this is when you’re coming to the end of your contract, or if you find that you are out of contract.
Adam Bullock, UK director of Topcashback, said that the most effective way of doing this is to find out what deals are on offer first, and to then find out the best price.
Threatening to leave is a common tactic that often yields rewards, while Adam encourages even shyer consumers to try haggling with their provider.
He said: “After all, the worst thing that can happen is a retailer says no.”
CUT SUBSCRIPTIONS
WHILE getting the right broadband deal will save a lot of money, the savings may be dwarfed by spending on other television services such as Netflix and Disney Plus.
Vix Leyton, consumer savings expert at website Hot UK Deals, reveals the average household pays a whopping £420 a year for TV subscriptions.
She said: “With a lot of the streaming services starting at comparatively low prices compared to Sky and Virgin Media bundles, it’s easy to see how households may have collected a portfolio of different providers.”
Vix adds that customers should not keep these services just in case they want to watch something, but should cancel those they are not getting value from.
She said: “There is always the flexible option to cancel and come back.”
‘We don’t miss extra channels’
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CHRIS Steele had been a Sky customer for about ten years, but found that separating out TV and broadband has saved £48 a month, without feeling that he is missing out.
The 37-year-old health insurance website boss, from Poole, Dorset, said: “I looked at my bank statement and we were suddenly paying £75.99 a month, and just getting the basic channels.”
So Chris and his wife, web designer Nele, bought a Freesat box to get TV and switched their broadband to Plusnet.
They now pay only £28 for broadband and nothing else, saving £48 a month.
He said: “We get twice the speeds for £28 a month.
“We don’t miss the Sky channels – it was only the basic ones.”
Best for sports fans
- Provider: Virgin Media
- Package: Bigger + Sports HD
- Contract length: 18 months
- Internet speed: 108Mbps
- Set-up cost: £35
- Monthly cost: £72
BROADBAND and telecoms expert Catherine Hiley, from Uswitch, said: “For £72 a month, the Virgin Media Bigger + Sports HD will give you all the sports TV you’re looking for.
“It has over 195 channels, including ten Sky Sports channels, all four BT Sport channels and Eurosport 1 and 2.
“If you can’t get Virgin Media in your area, BT Fibre 2 and the Big Sport package is £74.99 for over 136 channels and average speeds of 67 Mbps.”
Best for gamers
- Provider: Vodafone
- Package: Pro Gigafast 900
- Contract length: 24 months
- Internet speed: 910Mbps
- Set-up cost: None
- Monthly cost: £53
Catherine said: “If your kids are dedicated gamers they will need a fast, reliable connection, especially when playing online games.
“Vodafone is offering some of the best deals on the market for those needing top speeds.
“The Vodafone Pro Gigafast 900 with Alexa built into the wifi booster offers speeds of up to 910Mbps at £53 a month, giving you one of the best possible online gaming experiences.”
Best for TV addicts
- Provider: Virgin Media
- Package: Big Bundle + Drama & Docs
- Contract length: 18 months
- Internet speed: 213Mbps
- Set-up cost: £35
- Monthly cost: £37.99
Catherine said: “Telly fanatics can save money by bundling their TV packages with broadband. The Virgin Media Big Bundle + Drama & Docs has more than 145 channels.
“These include Sky’s cinema channels, such as Sky Premiere, which is showing The Matrix Resurrections next month.
“There’s Sky Animation to keep the children happy, as well as BT Sport 1, 2 and 3 all available in high definition.”
Best for broadband
- Provider: NOW Broadband
- Package: Super Fibre
- Contract length: 12 months
- Internet speed: 63 Mbps
- Set-up cost: £5
- Monthly cost: £21
Catherine said: “People looking for a low-fuss broadband package that offers decent speeds and good value for money could try the NOW Broadband Super Fibre package.
“The contract length is only 12 months, so if you decide you want a more premium package in the future, you won’t be tied in for too long.”
- Prices right at time of publication – but they may vary. Always compare before you switch.
‘There are deals to be made’
REBECCA Seeley Harris had been with Virgin for TV and broadband for 20 years, but only tried haggling for a better deal when her package rose from £38 to £62 a month.
By threatening to leave, she saved £24 a month, dropping the TV service, tripling her broadband speed and getting a better mobile deal.
Rebecca, 55, from Exeter, who runs legal consultancy Re Legal, now pays £38 a month for the broadband.
She also got a cheaper SIM-only mobile deal with O2 – a Virgin company – saving a further £25 on her contract.
She said: “I’ve bought an Amazon Fire stick (streaming device), which gives me all the TV I need.”
And she advises: “Be persistent and know what you want.
“At the moment there are deals to be made.”
