Money saving hacks for broadband

Broadband is an essential service for many households, but it can feel expensive compared to other costs like your phone plan. If you’re looking for money saving hacks for broadband, there are a few creative tips you can try to reduce your monthly bills.

Not all money saving hacks for broadband are likely to be suitable for your situation. Therefore, it is best to jump straight from this overview to the most applicable ones:

1. Low cost broadband deals with a social tariff
2. Share WiFi with neighbours
3. Unlimited mobile data plan instead of a broadband contract
4. Switch to a cheaper broadband tariff or package
5. Broadband phone packages and other bundle deals
6. Do not accept mid-contract price rises
7. Switch broadband provider to get a new customer deal
8. Recommended money saving hack: Get a fair deal automatically

Low cost broadband deals with a social tariff

Many low-income households are unaware that they could be switching to a social tariff, which could save you hundreds of pounds a year on your broadband bill. These special offers are available to people who receive certain benefits, such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income Support. Social tariffs typically offer broadband speeds between 20 and 100 Mbit/s and cost around £10 to £20 a month. Despite the potential savings, only 5% of eligible households are currently signed up to a social tariff. 

If you are on benefits and struggling to afford your broadband bill, it is definitely worth speaking to your supplier to see if you are eligible for a social tariff. You could be entitled to a much cheaper deal, which could make a real difference to your monthly budget.

Key benefits of a social tariff:

• Cheapest prices on the market for low-speed broadband
• If eligible, you can switch any time
• Avoid lockin: cancel the contract even before your contract end date

How to get started: 

1. Check on eligibility criteria and available offer a the Ofcom website
2. Choose if you want to stay with your provider or consider switching
3. Call the selected provider

Read some tips on how to become more financially independent to dive deeper into managing your finances. If you are seriously struggling with your finances, do not hesitate to get in contact with Citizens Advice Bureau, National Debt Line, MoneyHelper and StepChange.

Share WiFi with neighbours

By sharing the WiFi with your neighbour, you could cut your broadband cost in half or even more by splitting the cost. However, there are certain aspects that you need to consider:

• Trust is required to avoid misuse or even illegal actions (darknet, porn)
• Fair use: Your internet speed might be slower if your neighbour is using most of the broadband capacity or even worse, use all data available on a limited plan
• Violating contract terms: Many broadband providers do not allow sharing their service with another party in their terms & conditions
• IT Security: your neighbour might have access to shared drives in your network or home automation devices. Malware and viruses are distributed easily in the same network
• Shared responsibility: You need to agree who deals with technical issues or contract extension
• WiFi signal strength: Depending on the size of your flats, the thickness of the walls and the position of the router you might need to buy an extender/repeater

On the one hand, sharing resources such as a broadband plan with your neighbour can lead to disputes. On the other hand, the relationship to your neighbour might also improve. Other key benefits are mainly monetary:

• Save hundreds of pounds per year on your internet bill
• Share the cost of buying a fast router
• Get faster internet speeds if you decide to get one fast internet plan instead of two slower ones

Unlimited mobile data plan instead of a broadband contract

Mobile data plans with unlimited internet are getting cheaper every year. Financially, it might be beneficial to get a tariff with unlimited mobile internet instead of a limited mobile plan AND a home broadband contract. This is for sure not an option for pro gamers or people regularly working from home. However, it could be a valid option for an average single household. 

Here are the pros and cons of pros of an unlimited mobile data plan deal instead of a broadband contract: 

• You need to set up a hotspot to connect other devices to the internet every time you come home
• The reliability of internet speeds and changing latency will affect you on video calls and gaming but is less relevant for streaming
• Broadband works better with many connected devices at the same time
• The WiFi signal of your hotspot is less strong than a router or a dedicated device as a mobile hotspot

Tip: Know what you need! Compare the performance of a mobile plan with a broadband setup before you cancel your current broadband plan to know if your needs are met.

Switch to a cheaper broadband tariff

Choose a broadband tariff with sufficient bandwidth that still meets your needs. If you only check emails and surf the internet or occasionally watch YouTube or Netflix, you probably don’t need an unlimited tariff with the highest speeds. Look for a tariff that offers enough bandwidth. For occasional broadband use, a tariff of 30 Mbit/s should be sufficient.

Cut back on non-essential services such as a landline phone and use your mobile instead. If you still need your landline, you might be able to save some pounds on landline extras such as international calls or anonymous reject callers.

Broadband phone packages and other bundle deals

Instead of getting a cheaper broadband tariff, you can also bundle your broadband package with other digital services such as TV, mobile phone or Netflix/Spotify streaming services to pay less. Providers such as BT, Virgin Media or SKY offer good deals if you get all of your digital services as a package from them instead of paying for each service separately. As a result, you would not lower your broadband bill but save money overall at the end of the month on all your expenses.

Keep in mind: Bundling services can help you save a few pounds – at the expense of flexibility when cancelling services.

Do not accept mid-contract price rises

It’s a lot easier to cut your broadband bill when your contract is coming to an end or has already ended. If your broadband service is slow or unreliable, you may be able to cancel your contract early without penalty. You can also use a mid-contract price rise as leverage to get a better deal. Call your provider within 30 days from when you have been informed about the price rise. Tell them that you’re unhappy with the price increase. The provider may waive it or offer you other sweeteners, such as a faster speed, a better router or a free gift. Follow these negotiation tips to get a better price when you call your provider.  

Switch broadband provider to get a new customer deal

Loyalty is not rewarded by providers nowadays. The longer you stay, it is quite likely that you will pay a higher price if you do not take action. We suggest switching only if you are not satisfied with the service of your broadband provider. If you are just interested in a better price, Brevius can get a fair deal as an existing customer. 

If you decide to switch, compare deals from different providers. This is the best way to make sure you’re getting the best possible price for your broadband service. You can use price comparison websites to evaluate deals from all of the prominent providers in your area. Keep in mind that price comparison websites also offer different prices. When you sign up for a new broadband contract, you often get an initial voucher, and some discounts can last for up to 24 months. 

Switching broadband providers can be a good way to save money on your broadband bill, but it involves some effort and carries the risk of service interruption.

Recommended money saving hack: Get a fair deal automatically

The broadband report from September 2023 shows that the average quality of service of the major broadband providers in the UK is quite good. The most important factors for a provider today are likely to be availability in your area and the price. To get a fair deal with your provider, you will need to haggle every time you renew your contract. 

The solution: use an automated and therefore painless way to get the best deal as an existing customer. Let Brevius handle the negotiations with your broadband provider. Brevius ensures that you always get a fair price for your broadband connection, which is normally only available to new customers. The app not only helps you with your broadband contracts but also with your mobile phone contract, TV and many other services.

Conclusion

This article mentioned money saving hacks for broadband that will help to reduce your bill in various ways. Which way you choose will depend primarily on your internet usage, your willingness to pay for an internet service, your demand for digital services to be bundled with broadband and the amount of time you are willing to invest to make savings.