Broadband, TV and mobile customers could save hundreds per year by switching or haggling, Which? reveals
New research from Which? reveals that telecoms customers can save as much as £258 by switching or haggling for a better deal.
The consumer champion surveyed more than 5,000 customers whose broadband, combined broadband and TV, or mobile phone contract had ended in the past 12 months, asking if they had switched or haggled, and how much they had saved on their bills in the process.
Which?’s research found that most consumers found the switching process easy. This was the case for eight in 10 broadband (80%) and mobile customers (79%), and six in 10 (60%) broadband and TV customers.
Mobile customers who switched networks and swapped a phone contract for a Sim-only deal made the biggest savings across all the contracts included in the survey - saving £258 a year, on average.
People who stayed with their network but haggled their way to Sim-only also made significant savings of £210 a year, on average.
Those who switched mobile contracts - with a phone - saved £79 on average and those who switched Sim-only deals saved £66. Customers who haggled with their mobile provider saved slightly less - £64 for bundled contracts and £41 for Sim-only.
Across all types of mobile contracts, EE, O2 and Vodafone customers stood to make the biggest savings by switching away from their provider. EE, O2 and Vodafone customers who left their current provider and switched to a different network or Sim-only deal saved an average of £163, £127 and £121 respectively.
Out-of-contract TV and broadband customers could also make significant savings by switching - £169 on average. Sky customers could save even more by switching - £237 on average.
TV and broadband customers who haggled with their current provider rather than switching still saved £99 on average.
Which?’s research found that there were also significant savings available for broadband-only customers who switched providers, with the average being £100. Sky and Virgin Media could make even bigger savings by switching away - £160 and £155 on average.
Broadband customers who haggled saved £65 per year - with Virgin Media and BT customers making even bigger annual savings of £92 and £85 respectively.
Which?’s survey found that the reason people switched varied by sector. Mobile customers switched for a better mobile deal with another provider (41%) or because they had issues with signal and reception (13%).
Broadband customers switched to avoid slow broadband (21%) or an unreliable connection (16%) and broadband and TV customers looked for a new provider because of poor customer service (17%).
Time and time again, Which?’s research has found that smaller mobile and broadband networks outshine the Big Four in each sector. In the consumer champion’s most recent broadband customer satisfaction survey, Zen Internet, Utility Warehouse and Plusnet were all named Which? Recommended Providers (WRPs) and in the most recent mobile customer satisfaction survey, Smarty, Talkmobile, Voxi and Lebara were all named WRPs.
Many of these smaller providers offer fixed contracts - giving their customers more certainty about what their monthly bill will look like over the course of their contract. Any customers nearing the end of their contract should shop around for the best value, especially if they will face annual mid-contract price hikes with their current provider.
Natalie Hitchins, Which? Home Products and Services Editor, said:
“Our research shows out-of-contract broadband, TV and mobile customers can save hundreds of pounds by switching providers or haggling with their current one – and that most people find the process easy.“Ultimately, the power is in consumers’ hands and they should make sure they are getting value for money from their broadband, TV and mobile provider - whether by switching or haggling for a better deal.
“For years, Which?’s research has found that smaller mobile and broadband networks - such as Zen Internet and Smarty - outshine the Big Four. Anyone shopping around for a new provider should not overlook smaller providers as they often offer significant savings and better customer service.”
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
Research
Which? surveyed 5,014 adults in the UK between July and August 2025 who had a broadband, broadband & TV and/or mobile network contract end in the preceding 12 months. Representative of UK adults who have a contract with a provider, and are solely/jointly responsible for paying bills. Fieldwork was carried out online by Deltapoll.
Which? - Broadband deals: compare and choose with confidence
Haggling advice
Before attempting to haggle, remember these top tips:
- Find cheaper deals with other providers and be ready to quote them to your current provider.
- Depending on which makes you feel most comfortable, contact your provider by live chat online, by phone or visiting in store.
- Be assertive but remain polite. Providers expect customers to haggle and usually are willing to negotiate so that you don’t leave.
- The first person you speak to is unlikely to be authorised to give you the best deals. Ask to speak to the retention team as they can usually give the biggest savings.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, here to make life simpler, fairer and safer for everyone. Our research gets to the heart of consumer issues, our advice is impartial, and our rigorous product tests lead to expert recommendations. We’re the independent consumer voice that influences politicians and lawmakers, investigates, holds businesses to account and makes change happen.
As an organisation we’re not for profit and all for making consumers more powerful. The information in this press release is for editorial use by journalists and media outlets only. Any business seeking to reproduce information in this release should contact the Which? Endorsement Scheme team at endorsementscheme@which.co.uk.