Are you paying too much for broadband?

Over half of Brits have not changed their broadband provider over the last four years
Over half of Brits have not changed their broadband provider over the last four years

A half of British broadband users have not switched their provider within the last four years, according to a recent market survey of over 10,031 Brits.

The upshot is that millions of customers are stuck on 'Legacy Tariffs' and thus are overpaying for an inferior service.

"As the UK rides out the recession, the rush to cut household bills has led many UK consumers to shop around for a better deal on their utilities – however one household bill appears to have escaped their attention," claims the report from Consumerchoices.co.uk

Faster, cheaper broadband

The company's new research goes on to highlight "the fact that the average cost of broadband has fallen by at least 37% and the average broadband speed has increased by at least 700% over the same period."

"These results are very disappointing as there is a fantastic selection of ISPs and packages available to consumers," says Michael Phillips, Product Director at Consumerchoices.co.uk.

"British consumers have switched on to the benefits of shopping around for household services such as gas, electricity and home phone - so why not do the same for broadband? As internet users come to view their connection as a necessity they should not have to pay more than they need to for this service."

So what to do? Shop around, obviously!

Consumerchoices.co.uk suggests ways to choose the best broadband package - compare deals in your area; haggle with your existing provider; sign up online (many ISPs offer additional discounts and incentives if you subscribe online); think literally – realistically consider your needs as a broadband user and, finally, look into taking a (phone/TV/broadband) bundle, if you don't have one already.

Adam Hartley