1 in 3 Brits have never changed broadband provider
- Over a third of Brits (36%) admit they’ve never switched broadband provider, missing out on potential savings of £162 a year
- Over two-fifths of adults aged 45 and over admit they’ve never switched providers, with one in 10 seeing an increase of up to £15 per month in the last year
- Almost half of men (49%) and 44% of women have seen an increase of at least £4.99 per month in the last year
- Uswitch.com broadband expert, Max Beckett, encourages consumers to switch and save when their broadband contract ends
Over a third of Brits admit they’ve never switched broadband providers, despite this potentially leading to them paying more than they should to stay connected.
That’s according to Uswitch cheap broadband, which investigated the demographic differences in broadband spending across the country, as well as analysing those who are most and least likely to switch providers ahead of price rises of up to 14.4% this April.
It found that by switching broadband providers consumers can save up to £162 a year on their bills. Despite this, over a third (36%) of Brits admit they’ve never switched broadband providers, with three in 50 stating that they wouldn’t make the switch.
Table 1: Those who have never switched are paying the most for their broadband bundle
| Age group | % who have never switched broadband provider | Average broadband spend per month (high to low) |
| 45-54 | 39% | £43.66 |
| 55+ | 40% | £41.37 |
| 18-24 | 30% | £40.93 |
| 25-34 | 31% | £40.15 |
| 35-44 | 43% | £37.93 |
On average, two-fifths of those aged between 45-54 admit they’ve never switched providers. One in ten of those have seen a monthly payment increase of £10-£15, the highest of all age groups.
Table 2: Men are less likely to switch providers than women
| Gender | % who would never switch provider | % of demographic who have seen an increase of at least £4.99 in last 12 months |
| Male | 7% | 49% |
| Female | 6% | 44% |
The research found that men are less open to changing providers, with 7% saying they would not change, compared to 6% of women. Almost half of both men (49%) and women (44%) have seen an increase of at least £4.99 a month in the last 12 months.
The monthly broadband spending for men has increased by £3.82, 7% above the UK average (£3.58). In comparison for women, it stood 5.8% below the UK average at £3.37.
More than two in five Brits saw an increase of at least £4.99 per month
More than two in five (46%) Brits saw an increase of at least £4.99 per month in their broadband spending over the past 12 months.
When analysing broadband spending by wage brackets, it was found that three in ten of those earning up to £25,000 per year saw an increase of up to £10 per month in their broadband spending. This could be due to the fact that four in ten (40%) of them have never switched providers.
Additionally, over a third (34%) of those earning up to £45,000 have never switched providers[2], with almost three in five of them seeing an increase of at least £4.99 per month.
Brits working from home most likely to switch
The research also revealed that the industries where working from home is most common are most likely to switch providers and not see an increase in their monthly broadband spending. Just under a fifth of workers in Sales, Media and Marketing (18%), HR (19%) and IT and Telecoms (19%) have never switched providers.
Of those working in Sales, Media and Marketing, three in five (60%) have not seen any increase in their broadband prices in the last 12 months, compared to less than half (47%) of those working in Travel and Transport.
Max Beckett, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, says:
“When you near the end of your broadband contract, it’s important to check if there’s a better service from another provider that’s more suited to your needs. This could mean faster speeds, a cheaper monthly payment, better customer service or even all three.
“When your current package ends, your monthly charge will most likely rocket up from your fixed-term offer to the provider’s ‘standard’ price. This means you could be forking out a lot more than you expected if you don’t re-contract or switch to a new plan.
“However, some providers such as Community Fibre will increase prices by just £2 per month once customers’ minimum term contracts come to an end.
“Typically, consumers can save an average of £162 a year by switching to a new broadband deal.”
Find the most affordable broadband for you at Uswitch’s cheap broadband page
