You're wasting money on your broadband

Many of us are paying for download capacity that we just don't use.

Do you know how much downloading you do on a monthly basis? I know I don’t. Yet the fear of going over our monthly limit drives many of us into signing up for a broadband package with an unlimited usage allowance.

And according to some new research, that decision is costing us.

Getting what you pay for

A study by broadband comparison site Broadbandchoices.co.uk has revealed that a whopping 43% of British broadband customers pay for a package with an unlimited download allowance. However, the vast majority are not really making use of the large allowance, and so may be shelling out more than they would for a more appropriate package for their own usage.

According to the survey, the majority of users (37%) said they didn’t have a clue how much they download in a month. I must confess, I very much fall into this category.

However, those who do know how much they use are still not coming close to justifying needing an unlimited package. Just 9% said they use between 20GB and 40GB each month, with 14% using between 11GB and 20GB and 21% using between 2GB and 10GB. A further tenth use less than 1GB a month.

Working out the right deal

I think that what motivates many of us who sign up for unlimited deals is fear. That’s certainly the case with me. I know that chances are I don’t use more than 40GB a month. But I stream a lot of TV on my phone, and have no real idea how much that uses. And with horror stories in the press about what happens should you exceed your limit, it’s that “better safe than sorry" approach that motivates a fair few of us into taking out a more expensive deal than we necessarily need.

However, it doesn’t have to be like this. Here are some simple ways to ensure you know exactly which deal is most suited to you, and to get a better value deal.

Track your usage

I had no idea these even existed, but plenty of sites offer a broadband download monitor. Check out the monitors on offer from Broadbandchoices and Thinkbroadband.

All you do is download the monitor onto your computer, and it will then track your broadband usage. You can even get it to warn you when you are approaching your monthly limit.

Only once you have a real idea of how much you tend to use can you make an educated decision when choosing your broadband package, so it's worth giving it a go even if you are locked into a contrast for a while. That way, when you do decide to look at alternative deals, you'll do so knowing exactly what sort of package you need.

Do your homework

When shopping around for a better broadband deal, location is hugely important. Some providers will simply not operate in your area – when I switched provider last year I couldn't sign up to Virgin for example, despite the fact I regularly got advertising flyers through the post urging me to do so.

So before you get excited by the offer of some incredible deal, make sure you can actually access it!

Location also plays a big part in the speed of the broadband service you will enjoy, as the further you are from the local telephone exchange, the slower your internet connection will generally be. I live about as far from our local exchange as possible sadly, so while I may sign up to a package offering me speeds of up to 24mb, in reality the best I can expect is 3.5mb.

However, there are ways you can get extra speed out of your connection. Have a read of Speed up your broadband!

Get haggling

When you decide to move broadband providers, you’ll need to call your existing provider for your MAC code to pass onto the new provider. However, this call is also a final opportunity to wring a bargain out of the existing provider.

Chances are, they won’t want to lose your custom. So why not take advantage of this, and see if you can haggle them into giving you an even better one? I know haggling is not the most British of endeavours, but it can make a real difference. And if it doesn’t work, you haven’t lost out.

Bundle it up

When shopping for a broadband deal, it’s not just the broadband on offer that many of us consider – it’s the other parts of the deal, whether the package covers landline calls or digital television, as well as simply your online needs.

And if you go for a deal with both broadband and phoneline, it can work out far cheaper than going for a standalone broadband option

I’ve put together the tables below of some of the most competitive deals around that don’t offer unlimited usage.

Broadband only

Broadband and phone

*Only for O2 mobile customers

Thanks to Broadbandchoices for some of the tips included in this article

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