Broadband bugbears: Millions of home movers left offline for over a week
Broadband is one of the biggest cause of frustration when moving home[1], with movers being left offline for an average of 7.2 days[2]
Those who stayed with their provider were forced offline for 6.5 days - although more than one in ten (11%) were left offline for two weeks or more[3]
On average, consumers gave 13.5 days notice[4] - slightly less than the minimum notice required, with most providers asking for two, three or four weeks notice
Nearly half of movers said they had to use their mobile as a wireless hotspot while they were waiting for their fixed line to be set up[5]
The regions left offline for the longest time were Scotland (12.6 days), the East of England (10.3 days) and the West Midlands (9 days)[6]
Uswitch.com advises home movers to check what broadband speeds are available at their new address to avoid delays and overpaying
Issues with setting up broadband are one of the most frustrating part of moving home[1], with home movers across the UK finding themselves without broadband for an average of 7.2 days according to new research from Uswitch.com.[2]
Almost half of movers (45%) stayed with their existing broadband provider when moving[7], yet still were forced offline for an average of 6.5 days[3]. More than one in ten (11%) movers who stayed with the same provider were left offline for two weeks or more.[3]
According to the study of home movers from the past two years, seven in 10 (70%) said that being without internet was a top bugbear, ahead of more traditional frustrations including packing and unpacking (67%), delays to completion dates (64%) and dealing with estate agents (54%)[1].
Nearly half (48%) of movers said they had to hotspot using their mobile data while they were waiting for their fixed line to be set up[5], while more than one in five (22%) bought data on top of their normal allowance to stay online,[8] with one in ten (10%) using over 50GB while waiting to be connected.[9]
The research shows that time spent offline varied across the country, with the regions waiting the longest including Scotland (12.6 days), the East of England (10.3 days) and the West Midlands (9 days). In contrast, the fastest switchovers were in the North East (4.9 days), London (5.1 days) and the South West (5.5 days).[6]
Typically, movers give their broadband providers 13.5 days’ notice on average ahead of a move in date[4], slightly less than the absolute minimum required by providers, with many asking for two, three or even four weeks. One in five (18%) left their switch to the last minute, only giving providers one week of notice, and one in ten (9%) waited until after they moved.[10]
However, giving more notice didn’t always appear to pay off, as even those who gave 2+ weeks of notice spent an average of 7.1 days disconnected, while those who waited until after moving in were stuck offline for 10.3 days.[11]
A lack of connectivity has caused significant frustration and affected movers’ professional and personal lives. Over one in five (21%) respondents said their ability to work from home was disrupted, while 15% found themselves unable to manage life admin tasks such as paying bills.[12]
Home movers were also inconvenienced by an inability to stream TV or films (40%), not being able to check emails (30%) or social media (27%), and not being able to stay in touch with friends and family (20%)[12].
Sabrina Hoque, broadband expert at Uswitch.com said: “There’s a lot to think about when moving home, so it’s understandable that many movers think that sticking with the same broadband provider will make life easier.
“But with many movers still facing connection disruption, or being cut off for two weeks or more, it’s worth considering that your old provider may not be the best option - or deserve your loyalty.
“If you’re out of contract, it’s always a good idea to look around to see what’s in your new local area to try and find a better deal. There is a lot of competition in the broadband market, including smaller, disruptive providers offering faster speeds at competitive prices.
“Movers may even find that their old provider isn’t available at their new address, so it’s always best to plan ahead, and to do your research into what deals are available as early as possible.
“Whatever you decide, try and give plenty of notice - ideally two to four weeks at a minimum. This means if something goes wrong, many providers will offer additional mobile data or 4G MiFi hubs that use mobile data to ensure you’re not left without a working connection.
“If you have given notice and you’re still completely offline, you could be entitled to automatic compensation. You could receive £9.33 if the service is not fixed two full working days after you report it, and then £9.33 for each full day it is still not fixed after that.”
| Provider | Moving house service | Support given to customers while offline | Recommended notice period |
|---|---|---|---|
| BT | Visit ‘Moving Home with BT’ Contact BT online via My BT or call on 0800 783 0235 | If BT services are expected to be delayed by more than two days, BT will offer a BT or EE 4G Mini Hub powered by the EE network. They will give you unlimited mobile data to get you online as quickly as possible. | Two weeks |
| Plusnet | Call the moving team on 0800 587 1952 | No extra cost to take out a new contract. | Four weeks |
| Sky Broadband | Visit ‘Moving Home with Sky’ | Sky customers can use any of the thousands of free Sky Wi-Fi hotspots available across the country. | Two weeks |
| Virgin Media | Check Virgin Media is available at your new address and contact to arrange a move. There is a £20 charge, or £35 per transfer if you are a new or recontracting customer on or after 25th May 2023, to cover the cost of transferring our services to your new address. | The Virgin Connect app helps get your Virgin Media broadband up and running. If an existing customer is moving to a non-serviceable area, customers can provide proof of their new address and there won’t be any charges to be paid. | One month |
| EE | Use 'moving home' option in My EE or book your move online | EE offers customers their first month of broadband for free when they complete their EE move. EE mobile customers get a 1-month unlimited data boost on their mobile plan. | Three weeks |
| TalkTalk | Start a chat within the My Account section of the TalkTalk website or Customer Service number (020 3417 1000) | TalkTalk’s Full Fibre & Amazon eero customers benefit from eero Internet Backup at no extra cost, which allows you to set up a nearby mobile hotspot or wifi network as a backup if your wired internet goes down. | Two weeks |
| Vodafone | Call 191 free from your Vodafone mobile or 0333 304 0191 from any other phone. More information is available on the Vodafone website. | If you're in an Openreach or Cityfibre area, you may be entitled to £5.83 if Vodafone doesn’t activate your service when it said it would (including the day it should have gone live). | 30 days |
For more information see Uswitch’s guide to moving house.
ENDS
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Yolanda Etrata
Phone: 07702 534 837
Email: yolanda.etrata@uswitch.com
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors:
Opinium surveyed a sample of 500 UK adults who have moved house in the last 2 years (renters or owners) from the 25th to the 29th August 2023. Results have been weighted to be nationally representative.
Respondents were asked ‘How frustrating, if at all, did you find each of the following when moving home?’. Respondents cited being frustrated by Having to cancel or notify various services/utilities, e.g. broadband, electricity and get them set up at a new address (71%), being without internet connectivity (70%), packing and unpacking (67%), dealing with removal companies (41%), dealing with estate agents (54%), delays to completion date (64%), building / setting up new furniture (46%).
Respondents were asked ‘When moving to your new home, how long did you spend without broadband while you waited for it to be fully connected?’. The mean average response was 7.2 days.
Respondents were asked ‘When moving to your new home, how long did you spend without broadband while you waited for it to be fully connected?’ The mean average of those who did not change broadband provider when they moved to their new residence (224 respondents) was 6.5 days. 11% reported being left offline for two weeks or more.
Respondents were asked ‘How much notice did you give to the broadband provider in your current property before moving into your new home?’. The mean average response was 13.5 days.
Respondents who had been left disconnected (421) were asked ‘How did you stay connected while you were waiting for your broadband to be fully connected?’. 48% reported that they had used a hotspot from their smartphone and used their existing mobile data.
Respondents were asked ‘When moving to your new home, how long did you spend without broadband while you waited for it to be fully connected?’. Mean averages reported across regions were as follows: North East (4.9 days), North West (7.7 days), Yorkshire and Humberside (6.7 days), East Midlands (6.5 days), West Midlands (9 days), East of England (10.3 days), London (5.1 days), South East (6.1 days), South West (5.5 days), Wales (6.4 days), Northern Ireland (6 days), Scotland (12.6 days).
Respondents were asked ‘Did you change broadband provider when you moved to your new residence?’ 45% said no.
Respondents who had been left disconnected (421) were asked ‘How did you stay connected while you were waiting for your broadband to be fully connected?’. 22% reported that they hot spotted using additional mobile data that I bought on top of my normal allowance.
Respondents were asked ‘How much mobile data do you think you used when waiting for your fixed line connection to be set up?’. 10% reported using 50 GB or more.
Respondents were asked ‘How much notice did you give to the broadband provider in your current property before moving into your new home?’. The mean average response was 13.5 days. 18% said they have less than 7 days. 9% said they waited until after they moved.
Respondents were asked ‘When moving to your new home, how long did you spend without broadband while you waited for it to be fully connected?’. Those who gave their supplier 2+ weeks of notice reported 7.1 days on average.
Respondents were asked ‘When you were without internet access due to moving home, which if any of the following areas of disruption were most inconvenient? Please select a maximum of 3 answer options.’ Top sixresponses were: Streaming or watching TV/movies on Netflix/Now/Amazon Prime etc (40%), checking emails (30%), Social media (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) (27%), Working (being able to carry out your work duties remotely) (21%), staying in touch with friends / family (20%), life administration e.g. paying bills (15%).
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.