Cut the cost of your broadband

There are hundreds of broadband and home phone deals to choose from, with a myriad of providers announcing cheap headline deals almost daily.
Despite the huge potential savings, many people are put off moving to a better deal, because of the difficulty in choosing the right option for your household.
Broadband considerations
In order to help you choose a deal, the experts at Simplifydigital suggest that you need to consider:
Broadband download limits: downloading lots of rich content like TV content via BBC iPlayer, for example, uses a lot of bandwidth which may use up your download usage limit. Broadband download limits vary hugely from package
to package.
Broadband speed: the most basic broadband feature, this has the biggest effect on your overall experience of surfing the web. Broadband speeds vary enormously depending on the broadband package you choose and your address. Indeed, location is the biggest determinant (as frustrated rural broadband users will know only too well), and many super-fast broadband packages simply are not available in certain postcodes.
Home broadband versus mobile broadband packages: mobile broadband packages use the 3G mobile phone network and are accessed by a “dongle” plugged into your laptop. Mobile broadband is great if you want to access the web outside your home, but has drawbacks within the home (like limited download limits and patchy signals).
Line rental cost: it is common practice in the UK to quote a headline broadband price without the cost of line rental included, but most broadband services require a home phone line in order to function. The only exceptions are fibre-optic broadband from Virgin Media, for example; or a mobile broadband package that uses the mobile phone network to provide your broadband service. Line rental typically starts from £12.50 per month, although O2’s line rental is only £7.50 per month.
Other broadband features: customer service; technical support; and parental control features vary widely by broadband provider and package and are a vital consideration for many broadband buyers.
Broadband deals this May:
So what are the best deals on offer this month? If it’s a simple, standalone broadband product that you’re looking for, then O2 has some great deals.
For example, with their ‘All Rounder’ package, you will get up to 20Mbps broadband plus an unlimited download limit (subject to fair usage policy). This is a great option for those that want to watch TV online or download music. The package costs only £12.50 per month for O2 customers (or £17.50 per month for non-O2 customers).
Plus, O2 is currently offering three months’ free on the ‘All Rounder’ package. You can also add a calls package for only £2.50 per month. O2’s call charges are some of the most reasonable in the UK, plus line rental is only £7.50 per month, which is around £5 per month cheaper than most other suppliers.
TalkTalk is the UK’s second largest broadband provider and is currently very aggressive in the market. They are currently offering their best-selling TalkTalk Essentials Broadband and Home Phone package for only £3.49 a month for 12 months, although there is an additional charge for line rental of £12.60 per month.
The package offers super-fast, up to 24 Mb broadband with a hefty 40-Gig usage cap. It also includes a good value home phone plan, offering free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines (including 0870 and 0845 numbers).
Plusnet Value Broadband is also a great value option at only £3.24 a month (with line rental a further £11.99 a month). The package offers super-fast, up to 20 Mb broadband but with a lower download limit than TalkTalk and O2, capped at 10-Gig.
Plusnet Value Broadband also includes a home phone call package as part of the deal, with free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines.
Find the right deal in minutes: If you would like help finding the right broadband, home phone or digital TV package, Telegraph’s Digital Saving Service can help Simplifydigital’s Switching Support service is available seven days a week.
Their UK-based experts will search more than 6,000 deals from the top UK providers to find the best one for you. They then order the new deal for you, and remain on hand right up until the installation of your new services. The service is free and impartial.
In addition, Simplifydigital offers a Lowest Price Guarantee, so that if you find a cheaper deal elsewhere, they will refund the difference (terms and conditions apply).