Broadband customers will have to wait even longer for faster switching service as internet providers have missed a deadline to cut waiting times preventing Britons from finding better deals.
Even worse, it’s because consumers have just been told that average broadband bills are rising by up to £95 a year.
At present, switching to broadband can be a lengthy and cumbersome process, which discourages consumers from switching.
That in turn means many Brits have the wrong broadband deal, or are paying more than they should. Switching takes about two weeks and households often cannot have broadband at all during that time.
Bad connection: Customers who want to switch broadband providers have to struggle with long waiting times and a lot of effort
It also involves a lot of work as the customer has to find a deal they like, sign up with the new provider and tell their old provider to leave as the broadband companies don’t ‘talk’ to each other in the same way as banks and energy suppliers do when customers switch.
The only improvement is if a customer switches between providers on the Openreach network, including BT, Sky and TalkTalk. Here the customer saves some time and effort because once they sign up with a new Openreach provider, the company automatically tells their old supplier.
According to comparison agency Uswitch, not switching broadband providers costs consumers £1.85 billion a year in potential savings.
To help consumers switch, in 2021 regulator Ofcom set a deadline of 3 April 2023 for all broadband companies to establish a faster and easier switching system.
The new system would reduce switching times to just one working day and meant providers would have to compensate customers if something goes wrong with the switch and they are out of service for more than a day.
But that April 3 deadline has passed, and not only have broadband providers missed it, they have no idea when they’ll ever meet it.
Ofcom director of telecoms consumer protection Cristina Luna-Esteban said: ‘[The] the industry has had a lot of warnings, a lot of time and a lot of support to get this done. It’s extremely disappointing and frustrating, and providers have let their customers down.
“We take compliance with our rules very seriously and have taken enforcement action to ensure companies get this up and running as quickly as possible.”
An Ofcom statement added that broadband companies are ‘not yet ready to give any indication of when they will be ready’.
Uswitch telecoms expert Ernest Doku said: ‘Switching broadband providers could save the average household £162 a year. Ofcom cannot allow further delays at the expense of customers, especially given the current challenges to household budgets.”
Broadband companies have jointly formed The One Touch Switching Company to help them meet the new switching targets, which has been approached for comment.
How to get a better deal on broadband
1) Work out your current situation
Before you can get a better deal, make sure you know what you currently have.
If you’ve had the same broadband for a while, chances are you don’t know what connection speed you have, how long the contract runs or even how much it costs if it’s also bundled into a phone bill.
If in doubt, contact your supplier and ask for the above information. If you’ve had broadband for over a year, chances are you’re no longer locked into a contract, as most have been for the past 12 months.
2) Think about what you need
Broadband offers vary depending on speed and how much you can download, which affects their price.
Unless you’re an avid Internet game player with a serious habit of downloading music and videos, it’s unlikely you need an expensive service that offers unlimited downloads and top speeds.
Choosing a broadband deal that meets your needs, rather than one that’s too much, will save you money every year.
3) Shop around
If you are at the end of your contract, you must first haggle with your existing supplier.
Broadband providers are struggling to attract new customers. If you have come to the end of your contract and are about to leave, they may offer you a better deal in return for signing a new contract with them.
In most cases, they are unlikely to beat their best new customer offer, but if you think a competitive service is better, tell them and they may try to beat it.
If you decide to move, write down your basic criteria and shop around. This is Money’s broadband finder can search the market for you in just a few moments for the best deals in your zip code.
4) Know your rights
Under certain conditions, you can terminate your contract without paying an exit fee.
For example, if your provider announces a price increase that wasn’t in your contract, you can cancel and find a better deal.
Likewise, if your broadband speed is below your provider’s promised minimum, they have a month to fix the situation or you can leave without any penalties.
5) Check if you can get a social rate
Social tariffs are cheap broadband offers for people who receive certain benefits.
These deals have been around since 2020, when industry regulator Ofcom required providers to offer cheap options to the most difficult customers.
| Provider | package | Price per month | Contract duration in months | Speed | Setup costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EE | Base | £12 | 12 | 25MB/s | €0 |
| Vodafone | Essential broadband | £12 | 12 | 38MB/s | €0 |
| virgin media | Essential broadband | £12.50 | Rolling monthly | 15MB/s | €0 |
| KCOM | Full fiber flex | £14.99 | Rolling monthly | 30MB/s | €0 |
| Lightning fiber | Social rate | £14.99 | Rolling monthly | 50MB/s | €0 |
| Source: Ofcom | |||||
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