More than one million Britons who moved in the last year[1] waited eight days on average for their broadband to be connected[2]
Bristol home movers waited three times longer (15 days) than those in Edinburgh (five days)[3]
One in three movers exhausted their mobile data allowance while waiting for their service to be connected, and one in seven struggled to get work done[4]
Nearly half received no extra help when asking their provider to speed up the process, with rural residents twice as likely to be left unassisted[5]
Movers left without broadband found it more inconvenient being unable to stream movies (26%) than not being able to work (16%)[6]
Uswitch.com advises movers to check what broadband speeds are available at their new address, and offers tips on how to minimise the disruption during any delay.
More than one million people who moved house in the last year[1] spent over eight days on average waiting for their broadband to be connected[2], according to new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service.
More than 390,000 house sales took place in the first three months of 2021 — the most in a quarter since 2007 — as people took stock of their living situation amid the Covid-19 pandemic[1]. However, the large numbers of people currently working from home has thrown a spotlight on the amount of time movers are spending without a broadband connection.
Unfortunately nearly all of the major broadband providers had their customers waiting at least a week to be connected. Plusnet took the longest time, at almost ten days, while Virgin Media customers had to wait just under seven[3].
Table: Average number of days for provider to connect broadband
There is a big difference in the time taken to connect broadband across the country. People waited just over five days in Edinburgh, but some places took almost three times as long, with residents of Bristol having to endure almost 15 days without the internet[3].
With millions of employees working from home in the last year, the delay in getting a broadband connection had a major impact on work duties. One in three movers (29%) exhausted their mobile data allowance as they tethered their computer to their phone; more than one in ten (11%) had to take annual leave as they couldn’t do their work without broadband, and a similar proportion (10%) were reprimanded by their employer[4].
Movers had to call their broadband provider twice on average to set up their connection, but one in ten needed to make five or more calls{7]. A quarter (26%) felt the process had sped up after speaking to their provider, while a fifth (21%) received a refund for the time they spent without broadband.
Another fifth (20%) were given a dongle by their provider to access mobile broadband during the delay[5]. Plusnet and Vodafone said they offer dongles or MiFi hubs to customers left without a connection, while BT customers will be offered a 4G Mini Hub if their installation is delayed by more than two days. Relocating EE customers get the first month of their broadband free, plus 50GB data for their EE device.
However, almost half of people (46%) who had to wait for their internet received no additional help from their provider when they complained about the delay. Residents in rural areas were almost twice as likely to not receive extra help, with three fifths of those in countryside locations (62%) missing out compared to almost a third (32%) in urban areas[5].
Only a quarter of movers consider broadband speed a priority when moving to a new home, compared to three fifths (61%) who think about the size of property and just over half (55%) thinking about the house’s location[8].
Almost half of movers (46%) had to pay a fee related to changing their broadband. Just under a fifth (19%) had to pay to leave their old contract early[9], with the average person paying £84[10]. More than a third (35%) had to pay an installation fee at their new home[9], which was £74.60 on average[10].
In an interesting display of priorities, movers who were left without the internet were more inconvenienced by being unable to stream movies (27%) than being unable to work (16%)[6].
Uswitch.com is urging movers to find out what broadband speeds are available at a potential new home by using a postcode checker. House-buyers can also minimise any disruption to their connection during a move by using a mobile broadband dongle, or tethering their mobile phone to their computer.
Catherine Hiley, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Moving house is one of life’s most stressful experiences, and a long wait for a broadband connection can only make the process more torturous.
“The amount of time it will take to get your new connection set up depends on your provider and where you live. So spare a thought for the poor people of Bristol who spend more than two weeks on average without a connection.
“There are a few simple steps you can take to speed up the process. Get the ball rolling and alert your new provider as soon as you know your moving date.
“Check whether your current provider can offer you a service in the place you’re moving to. If not, you may need to pay a cancellation fee for any time left on your contract.
“You might find that you have to sign up to a new contract when keeping the same supplier, so search to see if you could get a better, cheaper deal elsewhere.
“If you depend on a reliable broadband for work, or other activities, it’s really important to check the speed you are likely to get at any new home.”
For more information see Uswitch’s guide to moving house.
Notes to Editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,003 people who moved in the last 5 years from 11th to 17th May 2021.
1. Office for National Statistics: Monthly property transactions completed in the UK with value of £40,000 or above. 1.18 million UK transactions were completed from Q2 2020 to Q1 2021. 392,170 transactions in Q1 2021. Q3 2007 saw 442,930.
2. Respondents were asked ‘When moving to your new home, how long did you spend without broadband while you waited for it to be fully connected?’ The average length of time was 8.3 days. See table in release for average wait by providers. See below for average wait by location.
4. Respondents were asked ‘Did the absence of a broadband connection affect you in any of the following ways?’ 29% said ‘I exhausted my mobile data allowance as a result of tethering my connection to my computer’. 15% said ‘I struggled to fulfil my work duties‘. 11% said ‘I had to take annual leave/holiday as I was unable to do my work ‘. 10% said ‘I was reprimanded at work’.
5. Respondents were asked ‘Did you receive any support from your broadband provider when left without broadband during your move?’ 26% said ‘After speaking with my provider, they were able to speed up the process of installing my broadband’. 21% said ‘My provider refunded me for any time I experienced without broadband during the move’. 20% said ‘My provider gave me a dongle to access mobile broadband during the delay’. 46% said ‘None - I received no help from my provider’. 32% of urban residents said they received no help. 62% of rural residents said they received no help.
6. Respondents were asked ‘When you were without internet access due to moving home, which if any of the following areas of disruption were most inconvenient?’ 27% said ‘Streaming or watching TV/movies on Netflix/Now/Amazon Prime etc’. 16% said ‘Working (being able to carry out your work duties remotely)’.
7. Respondents were asked ‘When moving home, how many times did you have to call your broadband provider to establish a connection in your new home?’ The average number was 2.4. 10% had to make five or more calls.
8. Respondents were asked ‘What are your biggest priorities when choosing a new home?’ 61% said ‘The size of the property’. 55% said ‘The location of the property (e.g. proximity to work or school)’. 25% said ‘Broadband speed’.
9. Respondents were asked ‘Did you, or someone in your household have to pay a fee for your broadband when moving home?’ 19% said ‘Yes - I had to pay to leave my contract from my old home early’. 35% said ‘Yes - I had to pay an installation fee at my new home’. 54% said ‘No - Myself nor any other person in my household had to pay’. 46% had to pay a fee of either kind.
10. Respondents were asked ‘You said you, or someone in your household had to pay an early exit fee or installation fee. How much did you have to pay?’ Average exit fee was £84. Average installation fee was £74.60.
11. Respondents were asked ‘Which, if any, of the following statements do you agree with?’ 21% agreed with ‘The broadband connection at my new home is better than the one at my last home’. 14% agreed with ‘When moving home, setting up my broadband was the most difficult utility to organise’.
About Uswitch
Uswitch is one of the UK’s top comparison websites for home services switching, including energy, broadband and mobiles.
More people go to Uswitch to switch their energy, broadband and mobile than any other site, and we have saved consumers over £2.7 billion off their bills since we launched in September 2000.
Free mobile app Utrack also helps households manage their home energy usage and make potential savings.
Uswitch is part of RVU, a group of online brands with a mission to empower consumers to make more confident home services, insurance and financial decisions.
