Broadband & home phone deals

With so many internet service providers (ISPs) offering broadband and phone deals, it can be difficult to know where to begin in order to find not only the cheapest deals, but the best deals that suit your household needs.

Many consumers prefer to stick with a company that they know and trust, such as the national provider BT. Choosing BT is often a hassle-free option, particularly if it’s your existing home phone provider. Moreover, BT provides very competitive phone and broadband deals, with free evening and weekend calls coming as standard with many of BT’s most popular packages.

But don’t feel that BT is your only choice. With the likes of TalkTalk, Virgin Media, Sky, and so many others offering great broadband and phone deals, it's worth comparing phone and broadband packages before you switch.

How do broadband and phone deals work?

While landlines are being used less and less to make calls, they are usually still a requirement when having broadband installed in your home or when looking to use almost any type of digital TV service. So if you know you need a landline, it makes sense to ensure you have the best deal you can get.

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?

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.

Which providers offer broadband and phone deals?

All the major ISPs offer some form of broadband and phone bundle, each of which offers different benefits to suit your phone and broadband needs. Below are some of the most popular UK broadband and phone packages providers:

• BT broadband and phone deals could be a good option for anyone looking to save money on calls. Choose from BT’s Superfast fibre broadband and home phone bundles, or ADSL broadband deals, all of which 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, as well as the option to add TalkTalk TV.

• Virgin Media broadband and phone deals include free evening and weekend calls with selected packages. The company also has a vast range of digital TV and mobile deals you can bundle together with your broadband and home phone.

• 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 have 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.

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 the best broadband and phone deals may appear to be more expensive, they could save you money in the long run, depending on how often you make phone calls and how much the provider’s call plans cost.

• 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 terms and conditions 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 afraid of an 18- or 24-month contract you could end up saving a fair amount on your monthly bill.