How to slash your broadband bills before Awful April

Awful April might sound like the name of a children’s book, but it’s a recently coined term you’re likely to hear a great deal more of in the coming weeks.

In essence, it relates to the double whammy of tax rises and price hikes expected to hit households and small businesses next month.

Irrespective of your political sympathies, there is general agreement that increased pressure on personal finances is going to affect the vast majority of the UK population from next month onwards.

Council tax is rising by five per cent in England and up to 15 per cent in Wales; the energy price cap is going up by £111 a year; car tax is soaring (especially for EVs)…the list goes on.

Add in frozen personal tax thresholds, punitive changes to one-man limited company taxation and spiralling stamp duty costs, and Awful April’s title seems well deserved.

Home broadband costs are also set to rise next month, since April is the time of year when monthly bills increase – even among newer “pounds and pence” contracts.

While the BroadbandDeals team can’t offer much assistance with higher water charges or soaring council tax, we can help you to slash your broadband bills.

These are our tips on reducing household expenditure on broadband connections, starting with services which bear little connection to internet connectivity yet are often bundled in…

1. Investigate whether you’re paying for unnecessary extras

During the last decade, the simultaneous growth of mobile phone adoption and pay TV services led to an explosion in triple-play and quad-play subscriptions.

These bundled the aforementioned services in alongside broadband and often a landline. Yet mobile SIM cards often went unused, and landlines are largely superfluous nowadays.

The first, easiest and most obvious way to slash your broadband bills is therefore to jettison unnecessary services which might be discounted but still cost more than broadband alone.

2. Check whether your broadband contract has expired

According to Ofcom statistics, over 7.4 million UK consumers are out of their initial broadband contract period, meaning they can switch provider at no cost.

As is the case with fixed-term mortgages or savings plans, out-of-contract customers tend to be shunted onto less favourable rates to cover the costs of reduced introductory deals for new customers.

It’s entirely possible you’re paying more for your service than other people receiving comparable – or even superior – packages, so investigate your paperwork.

3. Consider reducing your maximum line speed

If you live in a property with full fibre broadband, you’re likely to be offered a series of contracts by ISPs, delivering varying line speeds.

It’s always tempting to choose the highest line speed – especially if you’re previously been stuck on sluggish ADSL connections. Yet this is often a false economy.

As our guide to minimum line speeds explains, consumers rarely get close to taxing full fibre connection speeds, meaning a slower and cheaper line may be perfectly sufficient.

4. Switch to a new ISP

Our website currently lists hundreds of broadband contracts – affordable ones, full-fibre services, no-contract deals, business contracts, bundles…

As well as shortlisting relevant deals available in your postcode, we’ll advise on achievable maximum line speeds, which addresses point 3 above.

You’ll also be able to select or deselect the added extras referenced in point 1, ensuring your next broadband contract delivers everything you need – and nothing else.