Cheap Broadband - Not So Cheap?
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When the time comes to choosing your new package or bundle it's tempting to go for one of the the cheapest broadband deals on offer - which are typically under a tenner a month. However, what you may think is the bargain deal of the century could turn out to be a lot more expensive due to the hidden costs charged by some of the UK's broadband providers.
The Hidden Costs Of Cheap Broadband
In this article, we reveal some of the hidden costs to look out for when buying cheap UK broadband packages. Please don't ever assume that a supplier with the cheapest monthly broadband price is the best option for you. You need to understand the full year costs, plus additional charges like calling technical support lines and customer services - otherwise your monthly bills could rocket.Cheap broadband may not be so cheap where you consider these:
1. Monthly Prices - Are They For An Initial Time Period Only?
Don't get fooled by attention grabbing advertising promoting the low monthly prices of a stand alone package or a cheap broadband and telephone bundle. Take a look at the deal a little more closely. Many of the monthly costs are for an initial time period only after which they increase to a higher price for the remainder of your contract period. They'll also exclude any potential one off set up costs like installation, a wireless router or line activation, so its best to look at the 1st year costs instead. Our broadband deal comparison tool enables you to compare cheap home broadband packages by both monthly cost and 1st year cost.It's also worth looking at our guide to choosing the best broadband deals to get more information.
2. Calling Customer Services Or Technical Support - How Much Do They Charge You?
If you experience problems setting up your cheap home broadband or later lose your internet connection, the chances are you'll be on the phone to their technical support or customer services team. Some suppliers charge these calls at premium rates up to 50p per minute (as is the case with technical support for Orange Broadband) whilst others charge at national call rates which still cost up to 8p per minute to call their 0870 numbers - the likes of Sky, Tiscali, AOL and TalkTalk do this. Local call rate numbers, starting with 0845 cost up to 4.5p per minute and are offered by suppliers like BT, Virgin Media and Pipex.You really need to check the providers call charges before you sign up with them, or otherwise what you save on your cheap broadband could be lost on your phone bill.
It's also worth remembering that phoning these numbers from your mobile will cost you even more!
You can find out the costs of calling the customer and technical support services offered by the UK's broadband suppliers by visiting our broadband provider review page and selecting the ISP you're interested in.
3. Smaller Monthly Download Limits - You May Be Charged If You Go Over Them
Many of the broadband providers have placed smaller monthly download limits on their cheaper broadband deals. This limit or cap, measured in gigabytes, restricts the amount of downloading you can do in a month, or sometimes during peak traffic periods where the ISP will use a method called 'throttling'. Don't think downloading just means music, videos and films, everything you do on the web, from sending emails to online shopping adds to your download total. If you go over your monthly limit you could be charged for the additional kilobytes you've used, or your supplier could move you to a more expensive package.If you're worried by this, the easiest thing to do is opt for a slightly more expensive deal with an unlimited download usage, of which BT is a good example with prices from £18.99 a month.
For any cheap broadband package you go for, please make sure you read and fully understand the suppliers download limit and fair usage policy before you sign up.
4. Switching Providers Or Moving House - What's The Charge?
If you're changing your broadband to a cheaper supplier, you will need to check your contract with your existing provider as you may have to pay a cancellation fee if you're not at the end of your contract period with them.You can also incur additional costs if you move house. Providers frequently charge a fee of around £50 to move your broadband connection with you, so its worth finding out in advance, especially if you're planning a house move within the next year.
What Do I Do Next?
Now you're in the know on what hidden costs to look out for when considering cheap broadband, we recommend you read out tips on how best to choose the right broadband deal for you. Alternatively, go straight to our broadband deals comparison page where you'll be able to search for and compare cheap broadband providers available in your postcode area.Please note we are able to provide this impartial advice on cheap broadband, together with our broadband comparison service, to you for free because we receive a small commission from the internet service provider you sign up with - which means we are funded by your actions. This only happens when you click on the orange 'go to site' buttons on this website, so if you're going to order a cheap broadband deal, please return to this site to do so. This will help us to continue to provide this free independent service for you. You do not pay any extra for your chosen suppliers package or bundle deal by signing up through this site.
If you're unsure as to some of the terms used on this page, please read our beginner's guide to broadband or our guide to switching supplier.
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