Broadband & home phone deals

With so many great internet service providers (ISPs) on the market, there are plenty of broadband and phone deals to choose from. It's now more important than ever to check and see what deals are right for you before committing to a contract.

Major telecoms companies like BT, Sky, Virgin Media and TalkTalk all have the advantage of being well-recognised household names. And while you may be tempted just to go with a provider that you're familiar with, or one that you've used before, you may end up paying more for your monthly broadband and phone service.

Taking a few minutes to compare the speeds and prices available in your postcode could not only save you money, but you might even end up with a better service for less.

How do broadband and phone deals work?

While landlines are being used less and less to make calls, they are still a common requirement in order to have broadband installed in your home. So whether you plan to use it or not, you'll want to make sure you have the best deal available.

Typically, the best broadband and phone deals will include a number of features such as free minutes, favourable international call rates and low monthly line rental fees.

Depending on your ISP, these features are offered in varying degrees in different monthly plans for you to choose from, giving you the convenience of a single, easy-to-understand monthly bill that is inclusive of all your home phone and broadband costs.

Why should I choose a broadband and phone deal?

There are a few factors to consider when choosing a phone and broadband deal:

• Do you use a landline to make and receive national calls?
• Do you use a landline to make and receive international calls?
• Do you simply need an active phone line in order to use broadband and TV services?
• Do you not need to use your landline, but the right broadband deal for you includes line rental?

If you’re still using a landline to make and receive calls, whether locally or internationally, a broadband and phone bundle could be worthwhile and save you money, even if you only use it once a week to phone your grandma.

If your sole reason for having a landline is to connect to broadband and access digital TV, then it might be more cost-effective to compare broadband and TV deals or broadband only deals.

What's the best broadband and phone deal?

The best broadband and phone deal is the one that best suits your needs, so before you go in search of a new deal, here are a few things to consider:

• Price — This one may seem obvious. However, while some deals may appear to be more expensive, they could save you money in the long run. Also, remember to look at things such as set up costs, line rental charges and initial gift vouchers or bill credits.

• Number of inclusive minutes given each month — If you’re looking to spend hours chatting on the phone, then look out for deals that include the most minutes.

• When free calls apply — Typically, free minutes are available during the evenings and on weekends, but some providers include free minutes at any time of the day.

• How long are calls free for? — Be sure to read your provider's Ts&Cs and check when your free minutes are applicable. Are they for the first ten minutes of a call or the first hour? Know when to hang up so that you don’t get overcharged.

• Cost of other calls — Do you use your landline to call mobiles or make international calls? If so, it’s important to check if these types of calls are included in your minutes, and if they aren’t, what are the costs?

• Length of contract — Typically the longer the commitment, the lower the monthly fee. So if you’re not averse to a 24-month contract you could end up saving a fair amount on your monthly bill.

Which providers offer broadband and phone deals?

All of the major providers offer some form of broadband and phone bundle, and each of which will have different benefits to suit your needs. Here are some of the most popular UK broadband and phone package providers:

• BT broadband and phone deals could be a good option for anyone looking to save money on calls. BT’s superfast fibre broadband and home phone bundles, as well as its ADSL broadband deals, also have the option to add TV services to your package.

• TalkTalk broadband and phone deals offer inclusive UK and international calls, with optional "boosts" or add-ons available to customers wishing to customise their package.

• Virgin Media broadband and phone deals include free evening and weekend calls with selected packages. Virgin Media also has some of the fastest broadband speeds widely available across the UK.

• Post Office broadband and phone deals can help drive down the costs of making calls by including line rental in their call plans.

• Sky broadband and phone deals offer a range of landline call packages in addition to its suite of TV bundles.

• EE home phone and broadband deals offer cheap and free calls, plus the chance to bundle your home broadband with a superfast 4G or 5G mobile phone connection.