Broadband cost of living check
If your broadband bill has crept up, you could be paying more than you need to. In about two minutes we’ll show you if there’s a cheaper deal you can get at your address. It’s free, and you don’t have to switch.
- Free and independent
- No sign-up to see your result
- No pressure to switch
Free. No sign-up or email needed to see your result.
8 in 10 people who ran the check found a cheaper deal at their address
If money is tight
If you’re struggling with bills, there’s help available. Start with a social tariff, then see what else you could get.
of households who qualify for a social tariff don’t know they exist.
Source: Ofcom, February 2026
See if you can get a social tariff
If you get Universal Credit or some other benefits, you could pay £12.50 to £24 a month. Most big providers have one, so you may not even need to switch. In June 2025 only 532,000 customers were on a broadband or mobile social tariff, fewer than 1 in 10 of those who could be.
Check you’re getting the benefits you’re due
The free benefits calculators listed on GOV.UK show what you could get. Getting a benefit you’re due could also make you eligible for a social tariff.
Ask your council about extra help
Many councils can help with essential bills and household costs. Look for the cost of living page on your council’s website. In England, councils also run the Crisis and Resilience Fund, which can help in an emergency.
Get free mobile data
If you can’t afford to get online, many libraries and community centres give out free SIM cards with data through the National Databank, for people on a low income.
Get free debt advice
If bills are getting on top of you, talk to someone. These services are free and confidential.
Broadband and the cost of living
Most of us can’t do without broadband now, and the bill can rise in ways that are easy to miss.
broadband households found their bill hard to afford.
7% of fixed broadband households, October 2025. Ofcom, Pricing and consumer engagement, February 2026
rise in phone, internet and postal prices in a year, against 3.1% for prices overall.
Year to August 2026. ONS, Consumer price inflation, August 2026
of broadband customers are out of contract.
Ofcom, Pricing and consumer engagement, February 2026
the typical saving over two years when our check found a cheaper deal.
Median of 2,437 FindBroadband checks that found a cheaper deal, 5 September to 10 October 2026
Want to know if you’re paying too much? Start the free check →
Your price goes up when your deal ends
Most deals start cheap for 12 to 24 months, then the price goes up. Your provider has to tell you when your deal is ending, but the higher price stays on your bill until you switch or agree a new deal.
Most providers raise prices every April
Most of the big providers put their prices up every April. Since January 2025 they have to tell you the rise in pounds and pence when you sign up, but over two years it adds up.
You could be paying for things you don’t use
Ofcom found 7 in 10 homes with broadband and a landline didn’t make a single call on it over three months, and broadband on its own costs about £7 a month less. A faster package or TV you hardly use adds up too.
What your provider has to do
These are easy to miss. They come from Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, or from schemes most big providers have signed, so you can ask for them by name.
A heads-up before your deal ends
Your provider has to tell you 10 to 40 days before your contract ends, and show you the best prices it can offer. Once you’re out of contract, it has to remind you every year.
Ofcom end-of-contract rules, since February 2020
Money back when things go wrong
If your broadband stops working and isn’t fixed within two full working days, most big providers pay you £10.34 a day without you asking. A missed engineer visit is £32.31, and a late new connection is £6.46 a day.
Ofcom automatic compensation, rates from 1 April 2026
Leave if your speed drops
If your speed falls below the minimum your provider promised and it can’t fix it within 30 days, you can leave without a fee. BT, EE, NOW Broadband, Plusnet, Sky, TalkTalk, Utility Warehouse, Virgin Media and Zen have signed up to this.
Ofcom broadband speeds code of practice
Your new provider does the switching
You only need to contact the provider you’re moving to. It arranges the switch, even onto a different network, and you won’t pay your old provider’s notice period beyond the switch date.
Ofcom One Touch Switch, since September 2024
Move to a social tariff without a fee
If your provider has a social tariff, you can move to it at any time without paying to leave your current deal. If it doesn’t have one and you’re struggling to pay, Ofcom expects it to waive the exit fee so you can join one elsewhere.
See social tariffs by provider →
Citizens Advice; Ofcom, July 2023
Your landline is moving to digital
Phone lines are moving to digital by January 2027. If you rely on yours, especially for a care alarm, tell your provider so it can check everything still works. If you have no mobile signal, ask about a free battery back-up so you can still call 999 in a power cut.
GOV.UK; Ofcom
Ways to bring it down
Four simple things that can take money off your broadband bill.
Start the free check →-
Check what’s on offer at your address
Compare what you pay with the deals you can get at your home. It takes about two minutes.
-
Ask your provider for a better price
Ring them before your contract ends and ask what they can offer. It helps to have a cheaper price from elsewhere to hand.
-
£
Only pay for what you use
If you rarely use your landline or TV, compare broadband on its own. The check shows every deal’s speed, so you can pick what your home needs.
-
Check your bill for extras
Look for add-ons you don’t use, like call packages or TV extras, and ask for them to be taken off. Some providers also charge for paper bills.
How the check works
-
01Your addressEnter your postcode and pick your address from the list.
-
02Your current dealWho you’re with, your speed and what you pay each month. A recent bill helps if you have one.
-
03Your answerWe show you any cheaper deals at your address, or tell you plainly if there aren’t any.
Your questions, answered
Am I overpaying for broadband?
If you’re out of contract, you may well be: Ofcom’s figures show people in contract spend £7 to £9 a month less than those who aren’t. The check tells you for sure by comparing what you pay with the deals we list at your exact address, over 24 months.
Is the check really free?
Yes. There’s no sign-up and you don’t need to give an email to see your result. If you switch through us, the provider pays us a commission. We never earn more when you pick a more expensive deal.
What is a social tariff?
A cheaper broadband deal for people on Universal Credit and some other benefits. Ofcom counts more than 30 providers offering one, from £12.50 to £24 a month. Each provider sets its own rules on who qualifies.
I’m struggling to pay my broadband bill. What can I do?
Talk to your provider first. Many can move you to a cheaper package or set up a payment plan. If you get Universal Credit or some other benefits, ask about their social tariff. For free, confidential help with bills and debt, contact Citizens Advice, StepChange or National Debtline.
Will switching cost me anything?
Leaving your provider costs nothing if you’re out of contract. If you’re still in contract, it may charge an early-exit fee. You can avoid that by timing your switch for when your contract ends, and we can remind you nearer the date. Some new deals have an upfront fee, which we show on the deal and count in its 24-month cost.
How do you work out my saving?
We take what you pay now over 24 months, adding your provider’s published April rises. Then we compare it with what each deal really costs over the same 24 months, not its intro price.
What if you can’t beat my bill?
We’ll tell you plainly, so you know where you stand. If you get Universal Credit or some other benefits, it’s still worth seeing if you can get a social tariff.
Can I check for someone else?
Yes. You can run it for a relative or someone you support. You’ll need their postcode and roughly what they pay each month, and you don’t need to give us any of their contact details.
What happens to my details?
You don’t need to give us an email to see your result. If you choose to leave one, we use it to send your result and, if you ask us to, reminders and deals. You can unsubscribe in one click.
Two minutes. One answer.
Free and independent, with no sign-up to see your result.
We compare the deals we list at your address against what you pay now, over 24 months, at its real cost rather than its intro price, counting the April price rises published on both sides and leaving out new-customer offers from your own provider. We earn commission when you switch through us, and never more when you pick a more expensive deal. How we rank →
8 in 10 people found a cheaper deal: 2,437 of 2,997 FindBroadband checks, 5 September to 10 October 2026, found a deal at the address that cost less than the bill over 24 months.