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From avoiding price rises to resolving connection issues and poor service, discover the key reasons why people end up switching provider
The recent news that BT Group – which includes BT, EE and Plusnet – will be hiking prices even more for broadband customers will not be a welcome move for those already facing above-inflation hikes.
But price rises aren't the only reason why you might want to consider switching provider – our broadband satisfaction survey showed that many customers simply weren't happy with the service they receive, yet despite these frustrations, had been with the same company for three years or more.
Less than half of those we surveyed said they were likely to switch providers in future, and some 47% said they'd never switched at all. To help you weigh it up, we asked those who had switched recently what made them take the plunge – if any of their reasons speak to you, you may find that it's time for you to switch broadband provider, too. And the process should be easy – thanks to One Touch Switch you only have to contact one provider and they'll take care of the rest.
You can get started using our guide on how to switch broadband provider.
Finding a better broadband deal
Nearly two in five of those who had switched told us they'd done so simply because they'd found a better deal with a new provider.
Customers that had switched away from Plusnet and TalkTalk were the most likely to say finding a better deal was their main reason for switching. Given these are two providers that loudly claim to offer affordable deals, they may have particularly price savvy customers.
If you don't switch regularly, sticking with the same provider for a long period, you're more likely to be paying too much for your connection than people who are more fickle. Our guide to the best broadband deals includes expert picks on a range of different broadband services, or enter your postcode below to see what's available in your area.
Avoiding broadband price rises
Price rises were the next top motivation for customers to ditch their provider for a new one - a quarter of customers who switched told us it was after being hit with a price hike.
Customers that had left two of the biggest providers were the most likely to say a price hike had driven them away - around two in five of those who had departed BT and Sky said this came down to a price rise.
And another 4% of respondents told us they'd changed providers because the introductory offer they'd been on had ended - which also often means a jump in price. Many of the big providers offer affordable introductory deals, with the tariff rising at the end of a 12, 18 or 24-month fixed term. Our analysis of deals has found that jump can be quite large - we’ve seen some increases that exceed 100%.
If you're within a minimum contract term, you'll likely incur exit fees if you try and switch to a different provider.
If your provider has included annual price rises in their contract, which includes the likes of BT, EE, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone, you have no way of avoiding them if you’re within your minimum contract period without paying these fees. Our broadband provider reviews let you know whether providers will automatically increase the amount you pay each year and, if so, by how much.
However, Sky takes a different tack – it regularly changes its prices but rather than putting them in contracts, it announces them by contacting affected customers. The advantage of this is broadband-only customers will be given the right to switch away, even within the fixed term specified in a contract, if they take action within 30 days of receiving this notification. However, unfortunately this isn't the case if you have a combined TV and broadband deal - different rules apply to pay TV.
Resolving connection problems
We now rely more on broadband connections for work, school and to stay in touch with friends and family than we ever have before so it's essential that it's reliable. But 22% of broadband customers told us they'd experienced frequent connection drop outs in the past year.
Some 12% of those who had switched, told us that lack of reliability was the main thing that drove them away from their old provider. Customers who left EE were the most likely to say that connection problems had prompted them to switch.
If you're experiencing issues with your connection, our advice on how to fix your broadband can help you diagnose and fix problems as they arise. But if those issues become a regular occurrence and you've had enough, it's time to switch provider.
Getting a faster broadband connection
Slow broadband was the second most-common motivation for customers to change providers, with some 11% giving this as their reason for switching. Ex-customers were more likely to have departed TalkTalk for this reason than the other providers covered in our customer satisfaction survey.
If you're suffering from slow broadband there are steps you can take to try to improve things - use our guide on how to speed up slow broadband to get started.
But it's also worth considering whether it's worth upgrading to a new faster connection. Fibre is both faster and more reliable than standard broadband. Around 75% of all premises have taken up superfast/partial fibre connections (30-99Mbps), but only 28% have a full fibre connection (these can be as fast as 8,000Mbps) despite these now being available in 79% of premises.
Find out more about the different types of fibre and which might be right for you, using our guide to the benefits of fibre broadband.
Escaping poor customer service
While only 9% of customers overall switched after experiencing poor customer service, this rose to 19% of TalkTalk customers. But our customer satisfaction survey shows that several providers struggle with decent customer service and technical support - quite a few earned paltry two-star ratings for one or the other.
And in a report discussing customer service on offer from broadband providers throughout 2024, Ofcom, the telecoms regulator, said that while providers had improved their customer service compared to the year before there is still room for improvement when it comes to the way companies resolve complaints.
While there is work for many companies to do, our round up of the best and worst broadband providers will help you see which providers offer satisfactory customer service and technical support - and which have earned dire ratings from their customers.
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