Stay-at-home consumers could get faster broadband for less money
Many internet users struggling with increased bandwidth demand could boost their ADSL connection to superfast broadband and still save up to £10 a month[1]
Seven million are currently out of contract with their broadband provider[2] and are overpaying by £76 million[3]
Reports that consumers cannot switch as engineers are banned from entering homes can be misleading as many installations can take place without an engineer
Consumers whose broadband connection is not coping with the increased demands of their household could move to a faster connection and save £10 a month[1] — in spite of reports that customers cannot change supplier during the lockdown, according to new research from Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
Seven million households are out of contract with their broadband supplier[2] and could save £76 million a month by taking out a new deal[3].
Out-of-contract consumers are billed £38 a month on average, paying £10 a month more than those who are still within their deal[1].
Many home workers whose connection is not coping with increased traffic could also get a faster connection for less. Out-of-contract customers with standard, or ADSL, broadband pay an average £30 a month for speeds of up to 11Mbps (megabits per second), while consumers in a superfast deal up to 54Mbps typically pay £25 a month[1].
Some broadband installations have been impacted by coronavirus, with Openreach engineers no longer working inside properties. This means that upgrading to an ultrafast connection or switching from Virgin Media’s cable broadband will not be possible if you need a new phone line installed in your home.
However, in most cases, consumers can still upgrade from ADSL to superfast broadband, as the work can be done outside of the property. Most customers can install their own router, giving them the opportunity to switch to a faster, and often cheaper, connection.
Regular or ADSL broadband generally averages 11Mbps. Superfast broadband offers speeds over 30Mbps, while ultrafast broadband is a connection with speeds of more than 300Mbps[4].
Table: Which suppliers can you switch to?
Correct at 02/04/2020
Uswitch.com is urging consumers to ‘Do It Yourself’ and get a faster, and often, cheaper broadband connection by installing your own router.
Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “It’s already a very challenging time for many households, but having a reliable broadband connection can at least give a bit more stability to services many are increasingly reliant on.
“For those struggling on slower ADSL connections, where an upgrade could make a really noticeable difference to day-to-day use, it is often still possible to move to superfast broadband, and potentially save money at the same time.
“Reports suggesting it isn’t possible to switch providers at the moment are misleading, and many consumers won’t have a problem upgrading to faster service where they can self-install.
“Those who are willing to follow our Do-It-Yourself guide to installation will find that they can get hold of faster, and often cheaper, deals that should do that little bit to help coping with the lockdown.”
Find out how you could save nearly £1,000 a year with Uswitch here.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Rory Stoves
Phone: 020 3872 5613
Email: rory.stoves@uswitch.com
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
1. Uswitch.com customer data
2. Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from the 4th to 8th October 2019. Results were weighted to reflect a nationally representative criteria. Respondents were asked 'To your knowledge has your broadband contract expired?' 550 people answered 'Yes'. 550 out of 2,000 = 27.5%. The Office for National Statistics reports there are 27.6 million households. 27.5% of 27.6 million = 7.6 million households with broadband connections who are out of contract.
3. Pricing data from Uswitch.com reveals that out-of-contract customers pay £120 more a year than those within their contracts. £120 / 12 months = £10 a month. £10 x 7.6 million = £76 million a month extra cost to out-of-contract customers.
5. Information from BT.
6. Information from Now Broadband.
7. Information from Plusnet.
8. Information from Sky
9. Information from TalkTalk.
10. Information from Virgin Media.
11.Information from Vodafone.
About us
It’s all about “U”!
Thank you for indulging us over the last 20 years by using a small ‘u’ and a big ‘S’ when writing about our brand in your articles.
We are delighted to let you know that you are now off the hook - it’s big U’s all the way (and small s’s) as we undertake our biggest ever rebrand - so let your autocorrect go wild!
About Uswitch
Uswitch is the UK’s top comparison website for home services switching. Launched in September 2000, we help consumers save money on their gas, electricity, broadband, mobile, TV, and financial services products and get more of what matters to them. Last year we saved consumers over £373 million on their energy bills alone.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a new business that also owns Money.co.uk and Bankrate.
If you would no longer like to receive our press releases please email prteam@uswitch.com with 'unsubscribe'.