- Black Friday is set to trigger a broadband shake-up, with 4.5 million[1] customers likely to switch providers thanks to new rules and exclusive deals
- A fifth (19%)[2] of broadband customers are currently out of contract and sitting on savings of up to £872 million[3]
- Andrew Lee, 63 from Biggleswade recently switched from Sky to Virgin Media, which will see him save £1,500 over the course of his new contract
- Uswitch is urging all out-of-contract customers to run a comparison this Black Friday, as switching has never been easier
New data reveals that 4.5 million[1] customers are likely to ditch their current broadband provider this Black Friday following the launch of a new easier switching process and customers looking to take advantage of deals.
One Touch Switch, which came into effect in September 2024, is the new process for changing broadband provider, designed to make switching easier so customers can swiftly move to a better deal.
The research by Uswitch.com reveals a fifth (19%)[2] of broadband customers are currently outside of their initial contract term and therefore paying more than they need to. Brits can save up to £163 a year by switching provider, meaning that more than 5.3 million customers are sitting on savings of up to £872 million simply because they are out of contract[3].
The top reasons stopping out-of-contract customers from switching include concerns about downtime (16%), double-paying (16%), and the belief it’s time-consuming (17%)[4]. However, One Touch Switch simplifies the process, aligning contracts and minimising these risks.
Andrew Lee, 63 from Biggleswade recently switched his broadband provider through One Touch Switch and will be saving almost £1,500 over the course of his new contract as a result: “I’ve been with Sky for more than 20 years, and out-of-contract for a significant portion of that, meaning my broadband and TV deal was more than a £150 a month![5]
“I knew I was overpaying, so I tried to negotiate with Sky, however they weren’t receptive. With Virgin Media, I was able to get a faster package, but around £80 cheaper a month which was a no-brainer and the process was super simple.”
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com says: “With a simpler switching process and a flurry of Black Friday deals, broadband providers are set for a significant shake-up this week.
“Changing broadband providers has never been simpler, and major players like Vodafone and Sky are ramping up marketing efforts to highlight this to consumers. We’re seeing the impact of this in our own data, with many of our customers having switched to Vodafone in the last two months.
“We are also seeing lots of our customers switching to smaller, regional providers who are often able to offer faster speeds at much more affordable prices than their bigger competitors[6].
“If you’re out of contract with your broadband provider, there’s never been a better time to run a comparison to see what else is out there - you could save up to £163 a year by signing up for a new deal.”
To see if you could save on your next broadband deal, check out the Black Friday deals on Uswitch.com.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Opinium surveyed a sample of 2,000 UK adults from 15 November 2024 - 19 November 2024.
- 44% of respondents (specifically out-of-contract) answered ‘yes’ to Are you planning to switch your broadband provider to a cheaper deal during the Black Friday sales?. On a Nat Rep survey of 2000, 166 say they’re considering switching providers on Black Friday. We then input this into a calculation - 166/2000*54m (UK adult population), which comes out at 4.5m.
- Respondents were asked ‘To your knowledge has your broadband contract expired? Please think if you have gone over the initial term of the contract (e.g. 12 months, but you are still paying for and receiving a broadband package.)’. 19% of respondents answered ‘yes’.
- Switching to a new broadband deal after your initial contract has ended could save you £163 (£163.72) a year. This calculation is based on the average 12-month out-of-contract cost calculated in July 2024 between Vodafone, BT, Virgin Media, NOW Broadband, Sky and Plusnet (£483.72), compared to the average cost of the most popular three new deals (NOW Broadband: Superfast at £264 per year, Sky Ultrafast Plus Broadband at £384 and Vodafone Fibre 2 at £312). Correct as of 1st August 2024. £163 x 5,339,000 = 870.25700 million.
- Respondents were asked ‘What factors, if any, put you off switching your broadband provider? Please select all that apply.’ 17% of respondents who are out-of-contract selected ‘I believe it will be time-consuming’. 16% answered ‘I am worried about payment crossover’ and 16% answered ‘I am worried about internet downtime’.
- Andrew was previously on a Sky broadband package, with 61 Mbps speed and TV including Sky Sports at £169.05 a month and switched to Virgin Media’s ‘Bigger combo bundle + sports’ 516 Mbps speed and TV including sport at £88. This equals a monthly saving of £81.05.
- Uswitch’s data showing switches from September 12 2024 to November 22 2024
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.