Saving Money On Your Internet Bill

One of the staff benefits available at work is a free Broadband account which gives us 7Gb during peak and 14Gb off peak limits. I’d never switched to that plan as I’d figured my 20% discount on a regular plan was enough!

With a new focus on saving money to pay off debts; it was an obvious choice to bite the bullet and switch to the free plan. Even with my 20% discount, my old plan was just over $55 each month.

So that’s another $660 a year to pay off my debts!

For those of you that aren't in my position, how do you save money on your Broadband?

Costs

Obviously the first thing most people think of is going for the cheapest plans available. Are they the best value for your needs though? You should look at all the other factors prior to making your decision, to ensure you’re getting the best value for your money.

Usage (Download limit allowance)

I would strongly recommend selecting a plan one level higher than you think you need for your first month so you don’t get caught out, you should always be able to switch between plans after your first month if you find it’s not the right plan after all.

You should also be aware of what happens if you reach your data limit for the month, will you be charged excess usage or will your speed be slowed down to dialup speed? It’s vital you know this and act accordingly as I've heard horror stores about people receiving $1000+ bills due to running way over their data limits.

Bundling Products

Many providers offer discounts for bundling services or products; eg: if you get broadband and a mobile phone from the same provider, you may be eligible to receive a discount. This could be a % overall or an amount off one or both of the products.

Hardware

If you have a modem from your current provider you may not need a new one if you switch, but if they’re giving them away as part of the offer, take it and sell it on Ebay!

Contract Lengths

Longer contract lengths normally equate to lower hardware charges while a ‘no contract’ agreement could mean higher initial fees or hardware charges.

It’s worth checking the exit fees too, and if they’re on a sliding scale depending on how far along you are in your contract if you want to leave.

As with your mobile it’s worth calling your customer service department (or checking the company website) and get them to see if you might be better off on another plan. Plans change all the time and if your current plan no longer suits, see what’s available to meet your new needs.

Another caution though, make you’re your usage pattern has changed for a good 3 months, if it's just a one month blip, you may want to stay where you are as often if you switch to a new plan you may not be able to go back to the old plan if your usage pattern changes back.

If you are thinking of switching providers, always call your current one first, it’s a cutthroat environment at the moment so their ‘save’ team may have incentives to get you to stay and save you money!

A site that I find to be very useful in Australia is Broadbandguide.com.au. They have all sorts of wizards and calculators to help you make your choice. I’m not affiliated with them in any way.