Almost six in 10 broadband users haven’t changed their provider for well over three years. Isn’t it about time we gave them a call and got ourselves a fairer deal?
When over half of us haven’t switched broadband providers for years, is it because we’re happy with what we’ve got or just too lazy for change?
Broadband comparison website Broadbandchoices.co.uk asked 6,000 broadband users if they’d budged providers since 2007 – 56% said they hadn’t. Sure, you might be happy with the service you’re getting, but three years in the ‘broadband-world’ is a long time.
Faster and cheaper
Times have changed – no longer do our credit cards expire while we’re ordering online. No longer do we need to add stamps to our emails. I’m exaggerating of course, but faster internet and cheaper packages have mushroomed since 2007.
The average annual price for a broadband package has dropped from £172.66 in January 2007 to £114.18 in January 2010, according to Broadband Choices. So if your bill isn’t benefitting from the same decline, maybe it’s time you made some calls?
Naturally, broadband speeds are also much faster, with 2007’s average and embarrassing speed of just 6.1Mb, jumping to the breakneck 14Mb in 2010.
But although broadband is improving, providers are quite happy to let you wallow in your sluggish and overpriced internet misery (except Sky, which is upgrading all broadband customers to 20Mb net). What’s more, many of the UK’s biggest service providers have scored abysmally in our Which? satisfaction survey.
Which? members rated over twenty providers, including AOL, BT and Orange, for overall satisfaction, broadband speed and reliability, value for money, and customer service. The results really hammer home the fact that it’s time to either force a new tariff, or switch suppliers altogether.
Time to take action
At a time when our wallets are tightening, shouldn’t we jolt companies that overcharge for inferior services? If you want cheaper and better internet, it’s time to take matters into your own hands:
- Before you get on the phone, compare deals with our broadband package reviews. Take the best competing tariffs to your current provider. They won’t want to let you go, so they’ll likely match or better those deals on the spot.
- Think carefully about your internet usage. Emailing or watching SuBo on YouTube won’t require an expensive package, but if you’re an obsessive (legal) downloader, you might want to spend a little more. You can use our broadband usage calculator to find out what package is best for you.
- You could also save a packet if you bundle your home phone, digital TV and broadband packages together.
In short, vote with your feet. If your provider isn’t giving value for money don’t let them get away with it. Join the Which? Vote with Your Feet movement and hit your supplier where it hurts – their wallet.
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