Uswitch comments on Ofcom’s findings about broadband social tariffs

Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “As we highlighted in November, it’s shocking to think that so many vulnerable people have never heard of social tariffs[1].

“While raising awareness plays a large part, there are still too many big broadband providers who are not offering help via social tariffs for their customers.

“At a time when the cost of living is soaring for many households, more needs to be done to make people aware of the deals that are available to those customers who struggle the most.

“Social tariffs are an important way for financially vulnerable households to get a decent service at a lower cost, and providers like BT, Virgin Media, Community Fibre, Hyperoptic and others are all doing their bit to help out.

“Providers are also incentivised to offer these types of tariffs, as Openreach has offered to waive the connection fees providers are faced with, should they opt to connect vulnerable households to their network[2].

“If you’re claiming one or more Government benefits in your household, you could be entitled to switch to these tariffs, which could reduce your broadband bills by hundreds of pounds a year on average.

“If a social tariff isn’t for you, or isn’t currently available at your location, try considering what you need from your broadband and mobile before locking into a contract and don’t overpay for data or speeds you don’t need.”

1. Uswitch: Broadband deals for low-income families

2. Source: Openreach