We asked nearly 5,000 customers whose broadband, combined broadband and TV or mobile phone contract had recently ended whether they had switched or haggled, and how much they had saved on their bills in the process.
It showed that compelling savings are available - in particular for those willing to switch. And, given the financial pressures many have been feeling over the last year, any saving will be welcomed. But we'd still like to see much more from telecoms providers - we're calling for them to cancel the price hikes many have planned for spring.
Switch providers and save
A striking finding from our research is that switching providers really has emerged as a key way to save money - particularly for broadband and pay TV customers. On average, TV and broadband customers could save £154 per year by switching, however customers who departed Virgin Media saved £187 a year on average by switching away for a better deal.
The average broadband customer could save £98 per year by switching to a new provider, but higher than average savings were achieved by customers of several providers:
Sky Virgin MediaBT'The average mobile customer saved slightly less by switching than by haggling though there was less of a marked difference than we found for broadband and pay TV - here substantial savings are available whether you switch or haggle. The average mobile customer could save £65 per year by switching, but this rose to:
Three.O2.VodafoneEEIn all three categories we looked at, the majority of customers surveyed who had switched providers said they had found the process easy. The proportion was lowest for TV and broadband, probably because this is the most complex of the three categories with multiple elements to weigh up – but even in this instance, more than half of switchers said that they had breezed through the process. Meanwhile, just over three-quarters of mobile switchers said they had found it easy.
Ready to get started? Enter your postcode below to see how much you could save - we detail potential price rises on any relevant deals, so you know what you're getting into.Don't want to switch? Haggle
Not everyone will be enthusiastic about the prospect of changing provider, particularly if you have received excellent service, aren't sure about the alternatives available or don't see a depth of choice available in your area.
Luckily, haggling is still an excellent way to get a better deal, even if the savings don't always look as impressive as for switching. Once again, our research shows that it's possible to make bigger than average savings with certain providers.
Sky Virgin MediaVodafone EEKeep in mind that those who haggle may end up paying the same amount (or possibly even a little more) with this still being a success. Haggling is an opportunity to discuss the elements of your deal and upgrade or downgrade if the package doesn't quite fit your needs.
Which? is calling on telecoms providers to cancel this year's price hikes
Unfortunately, many customers who are tied into contracts that impose these unpredictable mid-contract price rises do not have the opportunity to switch without incurring a significant penalty. Which? believes all telecoms firms must put an end to this practice.
Another option is to choose a provider that already protects customers against inflation by committing to keep customers’ prices the same for the duration of their contract, such as Hyperoptic, Utility Warehouse or Zen Internet - or rolling one-month Sim-only contracts that aren't impacted by price rises like those offered by GiffGaff, Lebara, Smarty and Voxi.
Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said:“Many consumers may still face price hikes this spring. It would be outrageous if providers were to cash in on unfair mid-contract price rises before new Ofcom rules calling time on them come into effect. Telecoms firms must do the right thing by their customers and stop these practices immediately.”
News, deals and stuff the manuals don't tell you.source https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/switching-can-slash-broadband-pay-tv-and-mobile-bills-by-up-to-187-aOsIB4L7TyB9