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Switch broadband provider and save up to £143 per year
Our latest analysis shows that switching broadband provider could save customers of the UK's four biggest broadband providers as much as £143 per year.
In a survey of more than 4,000 broadband customers, we found that, on average, customers pay £33.77 for their broadband deal each month.
But with the average cost of the cheapest introductory fibre deals being just £26.34, there are plenty of opportunities to save money by switching.
If you're a customer of BT, Sky or Virgin Media, the savings could be even greater. Read on to find out how much you could save by switching today.
Don't put up with a sub-par provider - browse the best broadband deals at Which? Switch to see what's on offer.
Which broadband customers could save the most?
We found Virgin Media customers could save the most by switching. While they generally receive faster speeds, they also pay the highest monthly bills - £41.68 per month on average. We found Virgin customers could reduce the amount they pay by just under £145 a year by changing to a new ultrafast deal with a different provider.
Our analysis also showed that customers of BT and Sky could save more than £100 a year by switching to a superfast deal with a new provider: the typical BT broadband customer pays £36.30 each month, while Sky broadband costs its customers an average of £37.32 each year.
The typical TalkTalk customer pays substantially less than those with the other Big Four providers - just £28.98 each month - but even they could make a modest saving by switching.
| Broadband provider | Potential annual saving for the average customer |
| BT | £119.52 |
| Sky | £131.76 |
| TalkTalk | £31.68 |
| Virgin Media | £143.64 |
Our analysis of energy deals also showed that you could save £68 a year as well as dodge a £139 bill increase by choosing to switch energy provider ahead of the energy price cap rise next month.
Lisa Barber, Which? Home Products and Services editor, said: 'Consumers should not have to pay more than they need to for essential services such as broadband and energy, and with many households facing an energy bill hike due to the price cap change, now is the ideal time to consider switching these services.
'Our research shows switching could result in savings of £300 a year, and it can be a straightforward process if you use a price comparison website to find the cheapest deals. Anyone looking to save money this autumn should not hesitate.'
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Other benefits of switching broadband provider
Switching broadband providers isn't only an opportunity to save money. It can also mean a faster, more secure connection.
Upgrade your connection
Switching is also an opportunity to explore moving to a faster connection, particularly if you still have standard broadband (also known as ADSL). Fibre broadband can cost the same as standard broadband - or less - plus it's more reliable. Find out more using our guide to the benefits of fibre broadband.
Get better customer service
If you're one of the millions of customers with the UK's four biggest providers, you won't be getting the best customer service. Our survey of more than 4,000 broadband customers found that their customer service and technical support is mediocre at best. Use our round-up of the best and worst broadband providers for 2021to see how BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media compare to smaller providers such as Plusnet, Vodafone and Zen Internet.
Get updated equipment
When you switch to a new broadband provider, you'll be supplied with its latest router. Updating your router isn't only about getting a faster connection or more reliable wi-fi, as our research has shown that old routers can be a security risk.
Weigh up the pros and cons of the UK's major ISPs using our broadband provider reviews.
How to switch broadband provider
Switching broadband providers can seem like a hassle, but it isn't usually complicated or time consuming.
When we asked customers who had recently switched how they found the process, two thirds told us it was easy. The same proportion said they were satisfied with the amount of time it had taken from them placing an order to the new service being up and running at their home.
In most cases, you'll only have to contact your new provider and it will organise the switch for you. The first step is finding the best deal for you - our round-up of the best cheap broadband deals might help whether you're looking for a basic fibre deal or speedier ultrafast broadband.
We've broken down switching broadband providers into four simple steps. Head to our guide on how to switch broadband provider to get started.
Our research
Which? surveyed 4,478 UK adults with a broadband service in January 2021. Our survey included a nationally representative sample who were asked how much they pay for their broadband package. This was used to calculate the average monthly tariffs paid by broadband customers across the UK.
We also analysed the cheapest introductory offers available from 14 of the UK's biggest broadband providers to calculate the average price of a superfast introductory deal (with average speeds of 50-67Mbps) which is £26.34. We compared this against the average amounts paid by BT, Sky and TalkTalk customers in our survey.
Because Virgin Media only offers fibre broadband (with speeds of 50-1,000Mbps), we compared the average amount its customers pay to the average cost of the cheapest ultrafast introductory deals (with average speeds of 100Mbps or more) which is £29.71.
Find the perfect package and save money - browse the best broadband, phone and TV deals and the best mobile phone contract and Sim-only deals on Which? Switch.
