Saving Money on Broadband When Moving Home

Everything You Need to Know About Saving Money on Broadband

How to Save Money on Broadband When Moving House

It isn’t easy moving home, whether you’re renting or buying a new property. With so much to think about, broadband might be way down your list of concerns. But moving home is a great opportunity to review your current broadband contract and potentially upgrade to a better deal.

After all, millions of households are paying over the odds, going out of contract and being charged top rates when they could be paying less for more. When moving house, there is an opportunity to fix this. You could even end up making some all-important post-move savings.

When it comes to moving house, check your current internet provider’s minimum notice period to ensure your cancellation is applied in good time. You’ll typically need to give 14 to 30 days’ notice.

Staying With Your Current Provider

If you’re planning on moving house, and things are at an advanced stage, it’s worth considering what is going to happen with your internet connection. There are two possibilities:

You keep your current provider but port the package to the new home.
You switch to a new provider, either because they can’t provide internet to the new home, or you want to get a new deal.

The easiest option, of course, is to stay with your current provider. But will it be straightforward, and will they give you the option of renewing the contract and giving you some savings?

It all depends on your new postcode. For example, if you currently have Virgin Media and are moving to an area without it, you will be forced to switch internet providers. With BT fibre broadband it is a similar story, but you can remain on a BT line and enjoy the services of whichever internet provider you’re currently with.

If your current provider offers a decent online account portal, you might be able to arrange the change of address and a new package without speaking to anyone. Otherwise, give them a call.

No chance they can provide your internet in a new property, or give you a reasonable offer to remain with them? It’s time to visit a comparison site and see what is on offer.

Switching Broadband Provider

Changing to a new broadband internet provider has never been easier.

Should you find that your current package is unavailable in your new home, or you’re simply unhappy with the service you have received from your provider, this is a good time to seek a better deal.

But first, the bad news. If you’re still within the minimum term contract – that is, the period you signed up to with the provider – then there will probably be an early termination charge. You can check what this is in the terms and conditions, which should outline under what circumstances the charge is applicable. Usually, you don’t pay a charge if the package cannot be transferred (for example, moving from a Virgin Media serviced area to one where it is unavailable). Otherwise, within the minimum term contract, a termination charge is payable.

To learn what providers are available in the area of your new home, check the postcode on a broadband comparison site. This will reveal all of the options open to you, giving you the chance to find a contract or bundle (TV, phone, internet, maybe even mobile) that suits you.

Choosing the Right Speed

The speed you choose will typically depend on the number of people in your home. Solo users should manage with 20-30MB connections, whereas families will need faster access, anywhere from 36MB to 250MB and beyond. This is particularly true if your household requires video and game streaming.

On the other hand, if you are a single person who works from home, a faster connection might be required based on your type of work. For standard office and video calls, a 50MB line would suffice. For multimedia work, however, particularly in a collaborative sense, you’ll ideally need something in the 100MB area or above to remain productive.

You might also find a good deal by speaking to your mobile phone provider. 4G and 5G routers are increasingly popular, enabling you to use mobile internet within the home. However, these are only suitable in specific areas where strong 4G and 5G signals are available.

With the right speed determined, it’s time to check what is on offer. You may find a good deal with special offer vouchers, prepaid credit cards, or cashback, which can be useful if you’re moving home and need to make savings.

You might also find that a bundle deal saves money overall, particularly when it comes to including TV services with your internet package. However, such deals should only be claimed if they’re going to be beneficial to you, and affordable. Some TV services are bundled with internet packages that are too slow to handle the streaming video, but signing up to a package with adequate speed might be beyond your budget.