Which? reveals the best broadband, TV and mobile deals
Britons who ’embarrass themselves’ by haggling for cheaper mobile and broadband deals could save over £100 (£135) a year, while those who want to switch provider could save over £200 amid high inflation.
It comes as BT (BT-AL) announced it would raise broadband and phone prices by more than 9%. The increase means most of its 14 million customers will pay an extra £3.50 a month, or £42 a year, on average for phone and broadband bills from the end of March.
Consumer group Which? surveyed 5,000 customers and found that 46% negotiated with their existing provider at the end of their broadband, TV or mobile contract to get a better deal. These people said they saved an average of £85 on broadband, £128 on broadband and TV and £35 on mobile phone bills.
One in five (19%) have switched providers, with the vast majority saying they did so because they felt they were paying too much.
Read more: UK inflation hits 30-year high as cost of living squeeze looms
Those who switched said they saved an average of £35 on broadband, £65 on broadband with TV packages and £40 on mobile bills.
“With the cost of living soaring, it’s even more important to cut costs where you can,” said Lisa Barber, Which? publisher of products and services for the home.
She said those who are happy with their current TV, broadband and mobile phone providers shouldn’t be afraid to haggle at the end of your contract “because it’s easier than you think and you might save a lot of money”.
“If you’re unhappy with your provider or looking to avoid a costly price hike, or if your service just isn’t good enough, shop around and consider switching.”
Which? found that customers who switched from a big provider could save even more – those who left Virgin Media said they saved over £200 a year and above-average savings were also made by those who left Sky (£180), Talk Talk (£90) and BT (£80), despite the average savings for switches amounting to £65 per year across all providers.
Read more: BT raises prices by £42 amid cost of living crisis
Customers who left Virgin Media’s broadband plans saved over £190 a year, while those who left BT reported savings of nearly £160 a year and those who left Sky saved around £100 .
When it comes to mobile services, customers who dropped Vodafone, Three and O2 said they saved up to £100 a year.
EE was the only major mobile phone provider whose customers were able to achieve better savings through haggling, with an average discount of £75 over the year compared to the saving of £50 for those who chose to quit and switch providers.
One in five (22%) did nothing at the end of their contract. These people are the customers most at risk of overpaying their bills.
Many vendors have announced they will raise prices this spring, some by more than 9% due to inflation. These increases are built into customer contracts and will leave many others with no choice but to pay them or face costly fees to leave their provider mid-contract, Which? said.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics show inflation hit its highest level in 30 years, hitting 5.4%, as the pandemic continues to weigh on the economy.
Watch: What is inflation and why is it important?
