Switching can slash broadband, pay TV and mobile bills by up to £235

Our latest research finds that broadband, TV and Mobile customers can make huge savings by haggling and switching when their contracts end – up to £235 a year by switching providers. 

We asked over 5,000 customers whose broadband, combined broadband and TV or mobile phone contract had recently ended whether they had switched or haggled, and how much they had saved on their bills in the process.

It showed that compelling savings are available - in particular for those willing to switch. And, given the financial pressures many have been feeling over the last few years, any saving will be welcomed. With One Touch Switch making it easier than ever for customers to switch providers, there's never been a better time to shop around.

See how your provider ranks in our guide to the best broadband providers, and the best and worst mobile networks.

Switch providers and save

A striking finding from our research is that switching providers really has emerged as a key way to save money - particularly for broadband and pay TV customers. On average, TV and broadband customers could save £160 per year by switching, however customers who departed Sky saved £235 a year on average.

The average broadband customer could save £105 per year by switching to a new provider, but higher than average savings were achieved by customers of several providers:

• Those who ditched Virgin Media for a new broadband provider saved an average of £165 per year.
• Customers who left BT saved an average of £148 per year .
• People who switched away from Sky's broadband service saved an average of £147 per year.

The average mobile customer saved slightly less by switching than by haggling though there was less of a marked difference than we found for broadband and pay TV - here substantial savings are available whether you switch or haggle. The average mobile customer could save £67 per year by switching, but this rose to:

• An average of £132 per year for those departing O2.
• An average of £122 per year for people who left EE.
• An average of £146 per year for customers who ditched Vodafone's network for a new provider.

In all three categories we looked at, the majority of customers who switched said they had found the process easy. The proportion was lowest for TV and broadband, probably because this is the most complex of the three with multiple elements to weigh up – but even in this instance, more than half said they had breezed through the process. Meanwhile, three-quarters of broadband, and almost as many mobile (73%) switchers said they had found it easy.

Ready to get started? Enter your postcode below to see how much you could save.

If you need more help before you switch, you can also read our guides on how to switch broadband provider and how to switch mobile provider. 

Don't want to switch? Haggle

Not everyone will be enthusiastic about the prospect of changing provider, particularly if you have received excellent service, aren't sure about the alternatives available or don't see a depth of choice available in your area.

Haggling is still an excellent way to get a better deal, even if the savings may not be as compelling. Once again, our research shows that it's possible to make bigger than average savings with certain providers. 

• The average broadband customer saved £55 per year by haggling, but the average Sky customer saved £62, while Virgin Media customers saved an average of £81.
• The average mobile customer saved £61 per year by haggling, but this was bested by an average of £58 for both O2 and Vodafone customers and a startling high £101 for EE customers.
• The overall average saving for TV and broadband customers was £117 per year.

Keep in mind those who haggle may end up paying the same amount (or possibly even a little more) with this still being a success. Haggling is an opportunity to discuss the elements of your deal and upgrade or downgrade if the package doesn't quite fit your needs.

Negotiation is also both expected and invited by providers. Your haggling power will be greatest when you have the right to switch away. Most people do it via a phone call but you can also try live chat or email if you prefer.  Get started using our guide on how to haggle for the best broadband deal to discover the simple steps it takes to negotiate a better price.

Pricing clarity and easier switching arrive

Our research comes ahead of Ofcom’s ban on unpredictable, inflation-based mid-contract price hikes which comes into effect in January 2025. Which? led the campaign calling for an end to these practices and as a result telecoms customers will be able to more easily compare providers and have more certainty about future bills.

As an example of how contracts will change, BT’s March 2024 price increase for mobile and broadband contracts was 7.9%, based on the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rate of 4% + 3.9%. 

For March 2025, it has instead confirmed that it will increase mobile Sim-only contracts by £1.50 a month, and broadband contracts by £3 a month.

Broadband customers can still avoid these fixed price increases by choosing a provider that already protects customers against inflation by committing to keep customers’ prices the same for the duration of their contract, such as Hyperoptic, Utility Warehouse or Zen Internet. 

Switching broadband providers will now be even easier for consumers after Ofcom’s One Touch Switch rules came into effect in September. This should mean consumers only ever have to contact their new broadband provider, not their current one as well, even if they are changing between different networks. 

For mobile customers, there are plenty of choices for cheap rolling one-month Sim-only contracts with networks such as Smarty, iD Mobile, or Giffgaff. If they put their prices up or you are dissatisfied with what you receive, you can simply switch provider at the end of the month. 

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