- Brits find the most awkward break-up conversations to be with friends followed by romantic partners and housemates[1]
- Those aged 18-27 find the ‘I’m leaving’ chat more awkward with their boss than with a romantic partner[2]
- More Brits would rather face jury service than cancel a service over the phone[3]
- More than half of Brits (55%) would be more likely to cancel a service if they didn’t have to speak to someone[4], and one in ten (11%) 18-34 year olds admit to cutting ties by cancelling their direct debit or card without notifying the provider[5]
- Uswitch expert offers advice on how to make the most of One Touch Switch to break-up with your broadband provider without any awkward phone calls
Whether it’s ending a relationship, quitting a job, or cancelling a broadband contract, new research from comparison and switching service Uswitch.com shows that Brits will go to surprising lengths to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.
When it comes to Brits’ most awkward parting-way chats, calling things off with a friend came out top (34%), followed by housemates (23%) and romantic partners (23%)[1]. However, younger adults are bucking the trend, as more Brits aged 18-27 admit they would find it more awkward telling their boss they are leaving (24%) than breaking up with a love interest (20%)[2].
Some Brits find these chats so uncomfortable that they’ve gone to extreme lengths to avoid them; from pretending to be deployed overseas, writing a message on a pizza box, deliberately self-sabotaging their relationship, and even moving country to escape the confrontation.
Even less personal break-ups can spark anxiety. Cancelling a service, like a gym membership or subscription, fills almost one in ten Gen Zs with dread (7%)[6], and Brits would rather face jury service than cancel a service over the phone[3].
Almost half of Brits (47%) admit to delaying a break-up conversation with a romantic partner or friend for as long as possible, with one quarter (25%) doing the same with a service provider.
More than half (55%) say they’d be more likely to cancel a service if they didn’t have to speak to someone[4] - and one in ten (11%) 18 to 34 year olds admit to cancelling their direct debit or card without notifying the provider[5], suggesting a desire to avoid an awkward conversation.
Thanks to a new, faster switching process, breaking up with at least one provider doesn’t have to be uncomfortable. With One Touch Switch, switching broadband providers is now easier than ever and completely break-up conversation-free.
Sabrina Hoque, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, comments: “We all know how awkward a break-up chat can be, whether it’s with a partner, employer or a service provider. That’s where One Touch Switch comes in, helping to ease the discomfort and make switching broadband provider seamless. The process means in most cases you won’t need to contact your old service to tell them you’re leaving - everything will be managed for you.
“The process also limits the risk of you experiencing any downtime, as well as the likelihood of having to pay for two contracts at the same time.
“These new rules mean it’s now even easier for you to find better value deals - including regional providers who can often offer faster speeds at a lower price. If you’re out of contract, it only takes a few minutes to run a comparison to see what other deals are out there, and you could save an average of £181 a year[7] by making the switch.”
Visit Uswitch.com to find the best deals and switch broadband providers without the hassle – no break-up phone call required.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from 11th April 2025 - 15th April 2025
1) Respondents were asked: “How would you feel about having to have a conversation to end a relationship with each of the following people/businesses?”
- 34% or 670 respondents said they’d find it “awkward” ending a relationship with a “friend”
- 23% or 470 respondents said they’d find it “awkward” ending a relationship with a “romantic partner”
- 23% or 470 respondents said they’d find it “awkward” ending a relationship with a “housemate / flatmate”
2) Respondents were asked: “How would you feel about having to have a conversation to end a relationship with each of the following people/businesses?”
- 24% or 75 Gen Z (18 - 27) respondents said they’d find it “awkward” ending it with an “employer”
- 19% or 61 Gen Z (18 - 27) respondents said they’d find it “awkward” ending it with a “romantic partner”
3) Respondents were asked: “One a scale of 0 to 5 where one is 0 would not like to do at all and 5 is would enjoy doing, how much would you like to do each of the following”
- 26% of respondents said they’d pick “Face jury service” as “Enjoy (Top 2)”
- 24% of respondents said they’d pick “Cancel a service on the phone” as “Enjoy (Top 2)”
4) Respondents were asked: “Would you be more likely to cancel a service or a subscription if you knew you didn’t have to talk to them on the phone or via email?”
- 55% respondents selected “Yes”
5) Respondents were asked: “How do you typically cancel a service, like a mobile provider or a gym membership?”
- 11% aged 18 - 34 said “I cancel my direct debit / credit or debit card without telling them
6) Respondents were asked: “How would you feel about having to have a conversation to end a relationship with each of the following people/businesses? A service such as a broadband or mobile provider, or a gym membership”
- 7% respondents aged 18 - 34 said “Dread”
7) Switching to a new broadband deal after your initial contract has ended could save you £181 (£180.83) a year. Based on the average 12-month out of contract cost calculated in January 2025 between Sky Superfast Broadband, Sky Full Fibre, Virgin Media M125 Ultrafast Broadband, Vodafone Fibre 2 and Vodafone Full Fibre 500 (£546.96), compared to the average yearly cost of the most popular five new deals (Sky Superfast at £357.00 per year, Sky Ultrafast Plus Broadband at £429.00, Virgin Media Ultrafast at £324.00, Vodafone Full Fibre 500 at £393.00 and Vodafone Fibre 2 at £333.00). Calculations include mid-contract price rises. Correct as of 1 January 2025.
For more information
Harriet Atkinson | Telecoms PR Manager
harriet.atkinson@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
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 find their energy, broadband and mobile deals 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.