The consumer champion surveyed more than 5,000 customers whose broadband, combined broadband and TV or mobile phone contract had ended in the past 12 months. Consumers were asked if they had switched or haggled, and how much they had saved on their bills in the process.
Which?’s research found that most consumers found the switching process “easy”. This was the case for three-quarters of broadband (75%) and mobile customers (73%), and more than half (55%) of broadband and TV customers.
On average, out-of-contract TV and broadband customers could save £160 by switching. Sky customers typically saved the most by switching away for a better deal – an average of £235 a year.
Save money by haggling
Which? found that TV and broadband customers who haggled with their current provider, rather than switching, saved an average of £117 a year.
The study found that there were also significant savings available for broadband-only customers who switched providers, with the average saving £105 a year. Customers switching from BT, Sky or Virgin Media saved even more, with Virgin Media customers typically saving up to £165 a year.
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Broadband customers who haggled saved £55 per year, with Virgin Media customers seeing the biggest average saving of £81.
Savings on mobile contracts
The difference in savings between mobile customers that switched and those that haggled was less stark. Mobile customers at the end of their contract saved £67 on average by switching and those that haggled saved a slightly lower £61.
Which? researchers found that Vodafone customers typically saved £146 by switching, more than twice the £67 average. EE and O2 customers saved an average of £122 and £132 respectively.
When it came to haggling, EE customers stood to save the most, at £101 a year on average.
Cheaper prices and better service
Which?’s survey found that price was the most common reason for switching broadband providers but that people also frequently benefitted from better customer service, faster download speeds and better connections.
Three in 10 (31%) broadband switchers reported customer service getting better after switching, while just 6% reported it getting worse. For those that changed mobile networks, a third (35%) said customer service improved and 3% said it got worse.
For download speeds, nearly four in 10 (37%) broadband customers said they got faster after switching, versus one in eight (12%) who said they got slower. For mobile network switchers, a quarter (24%) found they improved, versus 9% who reported they got worse.
About four in 10 (44%) got a more reliable broadband connection after switching, while one in eight (12%) found it got worse. Mobile network reception improved for half (48%) of switchers but got worse for one in seven (14%).
Ban on mid-contract price hikes
The findings come ahead of Ofcom’s ban on unpredictable mid-contract price hikes which comes into effect in January 2025.
As an example of how contracts will change, BT’s March 2024 price increase for mobile and broadband contracts was 7.9%, based on the Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) rate of 4% + 3.9%. For March 2025, it has instead confirmed that it will increase mobile Sim-only contracts by £1.50 a month, and broadband contracts by £3 a month.
Households can still avoid these fixed price increases by choosing a provider that has committed to keeping customers’ prices the same for the duration of their contract. Suppliers that do this include Hyperoptic, Utility Warehouse and Zen Internet – these companies also all performed strongly in Which?’s annual broadband satisfaction survey.
Natalie Hitchins, head of home products and services at Which?, said: “Our latest research shows out-of-contract broadband, TV and mobile customers can save a substantial amount of money by switching providers or haggling with their current one – and that most people find the process easy.
“With many telecoms providers already adopting Ofcom’s ban on unpredictable mid-contract price hikes before it officially comes into effect in January, consumers can more easily compare deals and should feel empowered to switch and potentially save hundreds of pounds.”