With endless broadband providers, combined phone and broadband deals, and contracts to choose from, it feels pretty impossible to know (with confidence!) that you're signing up for the best broadband line rental deals.
As independent reviewers of the cheapest broadband UK packages, Best10 has compiled this guide to share our tips and tricks for ensuring you get a great price without any slippery small print.
It's all too easy to end up overpaying or be sucked into a minimum contract, so we'll explain what's worth paying for and what isn't!
We Brits aren't known for being great hagglers, but if you negotiate (even a little), you might find you can easily cut back on the cost of broadband deals by a good £20 or so a month.
Providers also tend to offer introductory deals or discounts, so it's well worth asking about:
About 53% of people are willing to at least ask about any offers available, and if you don't try, you'll never know!
Negotiating on the average cheapest broadband UK prices can save you approximately £85 a year and £128 a year if you have a combined TV and broadband service.
Next, let's talk about the huge range of packages out there - and the importance of knowing which you need.
We constantly see ads raving about unbeatable prices, flawless connections and incredible functionality. Still, if you don't need an all-singing, all-dancing broadband service, you could reduce your costs considerably.
As a rough guide:
Our advice is to think this through before you start analysing prices or contract terms.
You'll then be in a great position to resist any pressure to upgrade since you'll know the package you want and the essentials you're happy to pay for.
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If your new broadband contract is for a permanent home, and you have other services like a phone line or an internet-connected TV, then a bundle deal is probably cheaper.
Now, we'd also suggest you check out individual pricing contracts since bundles aren't necessarily the lowest price, depending on what services you need and your broadband demands.
There are tonnes of bundles, and if you're a new customer, you can usually get a few freebies chucked in - but be cautious about minimum contracts.
Some bundles have a fixed price, but only for the first year or two and then increase steeply after that.
If you're tied in for longer or need to pay a hefty early cancellation charge, the lower initial monthly cost might not be as good value as it seems.
You'll also find some great broadband-only deals and packages from lesser-known providers, such as energy companies and supermarket brands, so don't restrict your search only to the biggest names!
Our last word of warning is to be careful if you decide to use a price comparison site to choose your broadband deals - not because they're untoward, but because they rarely show a true picture of the best value out there.
By and large, the companies and providers on any price comparison site (for any service!) pay to be there.
Price comparisons aren't reviews; they aren't normally independent, and therefore don't always work in the customer's best interests.
Alternatively, you can:
Most importantly - never feel rushed into making a decision or signing up to anything for more than, say, three months.
We're all about making educated, informed purchases, so take your time, and only commit to a contract when you're happy it's everything you need, at a competitive price.