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You could save as much as £235 on annual broadband, television, or mobile bills with a single phone call.
Yes, that's according to new research from Which? that revealed haggling with your existing provider or switching to a new supplier for broadband, paid-for television, SIM deals, or a pay monthly phone contract can unlock huge savings. Best of all, the new study uncovered that most Britons found the switching process easy.
GB News viewers can save £48 by switching to Sky's Broadband Full Fibre 150 plan using our link compared to shopping direct from the online Sky Store. For just £27 a month, you'll unlock average download speeds of 150Mbps — which is over twice as fast as the average household broadband speed in the UK, which was measured at 69Mbps by Ofcom last year
This was the case for three-quarters of broadband (75%) and mobile customers (73%), and more than half (55%) of broadband and TV customers. It comes a few weeks after Ofcom introduced strict new rules to make it easier to switch between full-fibre broadband networks in the UK, with compensation if you lose your connection during the handover process.
On average, out-of-contract television and broadband customers could save £160 by switching to a new deal, Which? revealed. But it was Sky TV and broadband subscribers who could save the most. According to those surveyed in the Which? study, the average saving was a bumper £235 a year.
The total savings will vary based on the contracts you're looking to renegotiate, but can climb over £150 for those who haven't switched providers in a while
WHICH PRESS OFFICE
The consumer champion surveyed over 5,000 customers whose contracts had recently ended, revealing that Britons who are signed up to major providers like BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, and Virgin Media are all missing out on significant savings by not taking action.
Those who didn't want to switch to a new provider, but wanted to haggle for a better deal with their current supplier managed to save £117 on average across television and broadband services.
Broadband-only users who switched saved an average of £105 per year — with Virgin Media customers seeing the highest savings at £165 annually. Mobile customers saved £67 on average by switching, with Vodafone customers saving up to £146 on average by switching to a new brand.
According to the research conducted by Which?, these are the potential savings across different categories:
The vast majority of those surveyed found the process of ditching their current deal for a new supplier easy. Even those with the most complex situations — like bundles of paid-for television and broadband — reported in good numbers (55%) that switching was straightforward.
According to the consumer champion brand, its latest findings should empower Britons to feel confident in exploring new deals to potentially unlock hundreds of pounds of savings each year.
The introduction of Ofcom's One Touch Switch rules in September has made switching broadband providers even easier for consumers.
This system means customers only need to contact their new provider, not their current one, even when changing between different networks — like the BT-owned Openreach network and separate full-fibre infrastructure, like Virgin Media O2, Hyperoptic, and other smaller so-called "alt-nets".
The streamlined process aims to reduce hassle and encourage more people to shop around for better deals. With the potential for significant savings and improved service, consumers are now better positioned to take advantage of competitive offers in the broadband market.
Switching between broadband providers that run on different networks will become easier as new "one-touch" system is now available across the UK GETTY IMAGESThis simplification of the switching process aligns with the trend of making it easier for customers to find the best value for their telecom services.
The upcoming Ofcom ban on unpredictable mid-contract price hikes will take effect in January 2025. This change aims to provide consumers with more certainty about future bills and easier comparison between providers. For example, BT's March 2024 price increase was 7.9%, based on CPI plus 3.9%.
However, for March 2025, BT has announced fixed increases of £1.50 per month for mobile SIM-only contracts and £3 per month for broadband. Some providers already protect customers against inflation by keeping prices fixed for the duration of their contract, including Hyperoptic, Utility Warehouse, and Zen Internet.
