Over a third (35%) of broadband users are missing out on annual savings of £118 as the thought of being without internet puts them off leaving
Dependency on this now essential service means just one in 10 (11%) has switched broadband provider within the past year
A quarter of Brits (25%) now rely on their internet connections to work from home, rising to more than a third (34%) among under 35s
For the 55% of switchers who experienced a delay in installation, the average time spent without internet is 1.4 days
Uswitch.com calls for customers to be automatically compensated for missed or cancelled appointments and days spent without internet, to create a meaningful incentive for providers to deliver a better service.
More than a third (35%) of UK broadband users who’ve experienced a period of internet access when they tried moving providers in the past say the thought of being without internet has put them off doing it again, according to new research by price comparison and switching service Uswitch.com. Yet those consumers are missing out on collective savings of £327 million a year. The average saving just for switching provider is £9.80 per month[2, but almost one in 10 (8%) customers save more than £240 a year.
Our dependency on broadband – a now essential service – is apparent when you consider a quarter of Brits (25%) now rely on their internet connections to work from home, a figure that rises to more than a third (34%) among under 35s]. This might explain why little more than one in 10 (11%) has switched broadband provider within the past year and why more than a fifth (22%) have not moved in over five years. More than a third (35%) have never switched provider.
Of the 55% who have reported being without broadband between providers, the average length of downtime is 1.4 days. One in 10 (10%) report spending one to two weeks without broadband while 6% had to wait longer than three weeks. Regionally, internet users in London wait the longest for broadband switch-on – an average of 2.3 days.
Almost a third (32%) of those who experienced a gap in service say their broadband switch-on date was not delayed and that their wait was standard or faster than the time specified by the new provider. The following table shows what excuses, if any, the remaining 68% were offered by providers:
| Those who experience a broadband void when switching provider were asked: What were the reasons cited by the new provider for the delay in installing your broadband? | Results (%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| No excuse was given to me | 22% | ||
| Engineer delay | 17% | ||
| Openreach engineer delay | 12% | ||
| Administrative error | 8% | ||
| Infrastructure issue (e.g. cables needed to be laid) | 7% | ||
| Router not working | 5% | ||
| Router lost in post | 3% | ||
| Payment error | 3% | ||
| Other | 4% |
Source: Uswitch.com
Those who switched provider and experienced a period without broadband managed to bridge the gap by buying dongles (11%), tethering their smartphone and using mobile data (11%) and paying for BT Wi-Fi (5%). Others reported that they found free or cheaper ways to access the internet, such as making do with the internet at work to get personal things done (16%), using the library (12%), sitting in a cafe with Wi-Fi (11%) or sharing a neighbour’s connection (5%).
The top reason for changing broadband provider is to chase a cheaper deal (37%), while almost a third (32%) are just unhappy with their current provider’s service. A quarter (25%) of those switching away do so for faster speeds.
Ewan Taylor-Gibson, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, says: “You should generally allow around two weeks from the point of sale to get your new broadband installed. However, if this is delayed, or you’re forced to live without internet, now deemed an essential service, you have every right to be incensed. At the very least, it can be irritating for those who enjoy internet TV services, but it can also seriously impact those who are isolated, work from home or need access to critical services online.
“Unless you’re switching providers on the same existing line – a transfer that can happen automatically on the same day – there is often an element of physical installation involved. There are a range of factors that can hold up the installation process – such as if you need a new Openreach home phone line installed, or if you’re signing up to Virgin and your property hasn’t yet been connected to their cable network. These potential delays should be factored in when looking to switch.
“However, the main impetus should be on the industry to do better. Providers should be striving to remove the pain caused to consumers by unplanned hold-ups, which currently act as a barrier to switching – something Ofcom is currently looking at. A system such as the introduction of automatic compensation could act as a solid incentive to encourage providers to work better at providing a more seamless switching service. We’re hoping providers will be further held to account as a result of upcoming changes in the Government’s Digital Economy Bill.
“In the meantime, Ofcom expects all providers to tell customers, at the point of sale, the likely date the service will be provided. But if you feel a broadband provider is not following that guidance, you can make a formal complaint, initially via the company’s customer services department. If the problem isn’t resolved, then you can escalate it to an Alternative Dispute Resolution Scheme. Your provider must tell you which ADR scheme it’s a member of.”
To run a speed test please visit: https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest/
Find out how you could save over £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.
Claire Jones
Phone: 020 7148 4663
Email: Claire.Jones@uswitch.com
Twitter: @uswitchPR
Uswitch.com surveyed 2,002 nationally representative UK adults aged 18+ via Opinium. Data was collected 11-15 November 2016. Our results have been weighted to nationally representative criteria.
Respondents who have switched broadband provider and who were without broadband during the switchover were asked: ‘Has the time without broadband access during the switchover delay put you off ever switching broadband providers again?’ 8% said yes - definitely, 26% said yes - a little bit, 29% said no - not particularly, 30% said no – not at all, 6% said not sure. Net: Yes – 35%, Net: No - 59%
Respondents who have switched provider were asked: ‘How much did you save per month by switching?’ 18% saved nothing, 8% saved £1-£5, 18% saved £6-£10, 11% saved £11-£15, 8% saved £16-£20, 4% saved £21-£25, 2% saved £26-£30, 1% saved £31-£35, 1% saved £50+, 29% didn’t know. The mean saving is: £9.80 per month or £117.60 per year
All respondents were asked: ‘Have you ever changed your internet broadband provider?’ 35% have never changed, 22% switched more than 5 years ago, 12% switched 3-5 years ago, 16% switched 1-3 years ago, 11% switched within the past 12 months, 4% said not applicable as they don’t have broadband in their household. Net: 62% have switched provider.
All respondents with a broadband connection were asked: ‘Do you rely on your broadband connection for any of the following?’ For the option ‘working from home’ the figure was 26% for all UK adults and 36% among those aged 18-34.’ 65% said ‘check bank account/savings’, 59% said ‘shop’, 42% said’ to keep in touch with friends or family far away or overseas’, 42% said ‘for entertainment e.g. TV or gaming’, 26% said ‘to work from home’, 10% said ‘for children’s homework’, 3% said ‘for their child to contact their other parent’
According to the latest figures from Ofcom, 86% of UK households have internet. According to the ONS there are 27million households in the UK. 86% of 27 million = 23,220,000 households with broadband. 62% have switched provider at least once. 62% of 23,220,000 = 14,396,400. Of these, 55% were left without broadband for at least one day. 55% of 14,396,400 = 7,918,020 Only these respondents were asked: ‘Has the time without broadband access during the switchover delay put you off ever switching broadband providers again?’ Net: Yes – 35%, Net: No - 59%. 35% of 7,918,020 households = 2,771,307 x the ave. saving of £118 a year = £327,014,226
Respondents who have switched provider were asked: ‘How long were you without broadband during the switchover?’ 45% said 0 days, 26% said 1-3 days, 12% said 4-6 days, 10% said 1-2 weeks, 3% said 3-4 weeks, 1% said 5-6 weeks, 1% said 7-8 week, 1% said 9 weeks plus. The mean was 4.3 days. 1.4 days is the median downtime.
See table above.
Respondents who were without broadband during the switchover were asked: ‘Did you try any of the following during the period without broadband?’ 16% used internet at work to do personal things, 12% went to a library, 11% bought a dongle, 11% used cafes with WiFi, 11% tethered their mobile phone to their computer or laptop, 5% used a neighbour’s WiFi connection, 5% paid for BT WiFi, 2% rented hotdesking space, 3% said other, 45% said none of the above.
Respondents who have switched provider were asked: ‘Why did you change provider?’ 37% wanted a cheaper deal, 32% were not happy with their existing service, 25% wanted faster speeds, 17% moved house, 15% wanted a bundled deal, 8% wanted a deal with a higher download limit, 7% wanted a deal with TV or film content included, 5% wanted a deal with a freebie, 5% said other.
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