Below is a list of the best ways to save money on your mobile phone bills and broadband / internet costs that we’ve come across over the last few years of helping people. We have no affiliation with any of the companies we mention - we don’t benefit from anyone using them.

We will update the list when we discover new opportunities to save money on bills, and we will continue to connect customers to as many of them as possible during our calls.

Mobile and broadband bills

BROADBAND

  • If you claim benefits you may well be eligible for a broadband social tariff which can reduce your bills by around 50%. Currently, only 5% of those who are eligible are claiming this discount. Contact your supplier to find out more (we are also able to help switch people to social tariffs). Here is a summary of the main social tariff offers:

    • Vodafone Essentials = £20 a month for 73Mb

    • BT Home Essentials = between £15 and £23 a month for 36Mb or 67Mb

    • Virgin Media Essentials = £12.50 a month for 15Mb or £20 a month for 54Mb (without a telephone line)

    • Shell Energy Essentials = £15 a month for 11Mb or £20 a month for 38Mb

    • Sky Basics = £20 a month for 36Mb

    • Now Basics = £20 a month for 36Mb

  • Make sure you are on the right speed - some providers try to encourage more expensive deals for higher speeds when in reality they will make little difference. We find that around 66 Mbps works best for most people (large families or high usage homes may need up to 100-150 Mbps)

  • If you aren’t eligible for social tariffs, avoid changing provider mid contract as there are often early exit fees.

  • Shop around - use a price comparison site to find the best deal for you. Uswitch is a good site.

  • Always haggle! Even if you plan to stay with your current provider, threaten to leave and they nearly always find way to reduce their monthly fee!

MOBILE PHONES

  • Check whether or not you are in contract - lots of people carry on paying contract fees each month (usually between £40-£50) when they could move over to a much cheaper SIM only deal. Call your provider to find out if you are in contract or it may tell you on their app if you have it downloaded.

  • Once you are out of contract, consider moving to a SIM only deal - these can be as little as £5 a month for 4BG of data.

  • Make sure you are buying the right amount of data - providers can often try to upsell this when it’s not needed. The average person in the UK only uses 5 GB. You can check your actual data usage in your phone settings and then selecting ‘mobile data’ in the options.

  • Ask your provider to put a cap on your spending so you have peace of mind that you will never go over your monthly fee

  • Avoid changing provider mid contract as there are often early exit fees.

  • Alternatively, consider buying a handset outright and then sign up to a 24 month contract.

  • Second hand and refurbished phones can come with guarantees and are also better for the environment. Back Market and Envirofone are good sites.