Five ways to bag a better broadband deal!

The Government recently announced it intends to impose a £6 a year broadband tax on everyone with a landline before the next election.

The new 50p a month tax is designed to fund the development of high speed broadband.

However, with the recession still biting, many of us will be extremely unhappy to learn our bills could shoot up to pay for a superfast connection.

What's more, vulnerable groups in the country, such as the elderly, who rely heavily on their home phone but have no use for broadband, could end up facing extra expense for something they won't benefit from.

Therefore, if you're worried about increasing broadband bills, here are my five top tips to help keep costs down.

1. Assess your internet use

Your first step should be to sit down and work out what you use the internet for.

If you're willing to impose a few limits on your usage, you may be able to reduce the price you pay.

For example, if you don't regularly download music and videos, sacrificing some speed or reducing your download limit could net you a serious saving.

However, you must remember that if you end up going over your download limit you could be hit with expensive additional charges.

Therefore, if you are the sort of person who spends a lot of time downloading, you may be better off opting for a deal with an unlimited download limit and a high speed connection.

2. Buy a bundle

It can often work out cheaper to combine your broadband with other services such as your cable and telephone costs.

Therefore, before you buy your broadband, check to see whether you could save some pennies by bundling all your services together in one package deal.

By putting all your services in one basket, you would also benefit from the added convenience of only having to deal with one company and one bill each month.

However, make sure you only pay for what you will use. Some bundles may come with extras that sound fantastic when you sign up, but if you won't use them, your hard earned cash could be better spent elsewhere.

3. Surf around

Sadly, when it comes to dealing with financial institutions, loyalty is rarely rewarded.

This is because many providers reserve their best deals for new customers. If you always stick with the same supplier you won't have access to the competitive prices used by companies to tempt others into switching providers.

Yet, according to recent research by Broadbandchoices.co.uk, almost 70% of consumers are throwing their money away by not reviewing their broadband, home phone and TV packages each year.

If you've never switched your supplier or shopped around for a better deal, you may find you're paying more for your broadband than you need to.

Using an online comparison service such as the BeatThatQuote.com tool is a quick and easy way to compare a range of different deals.

You can find out more about how being fickle can save you a fortune by reading my article 'Five reasons why loyalty doesn't pay.'

4. Don't be afraid to haggle

Remember, in this day and age, if you don't ask you don't get.

If you're happy with your existing supplier, don't be afraid to try and barter for a better deal.

These days, broadband companies are aware there is increased competition in the market and as a result are likely to go that extra mile to keep you.

Check to see if you're on the best deal your current provider is offering. If you're not, find out whether you could make savings by opting for a different deal from the same company.

Before you call your provider, do your homework and make sure you are aware of what deals are currently on the market. This way, if you are offered an improved deal, you'll know how it compares with the market's very best offers.

This will put you in a stronger position when it comes to deciding whether to stick with your current provider or jump ship to a rival company.

And if your supplier knows you mean business, you might be able to haggle for a few free extras too!

5. Make sure you get what you pay for

According to recent research by Ofcom, many of us aren't getting the broadband speed we're paying for.

The study showed that less than one in ten of users with '8Mbps' (8 megabits per second) packages received actual speeds of over 6Mbps. What's more, 19% received, on average, just 2Mbps or less.

Unfortunately, because of the way the internet service providers (ISPs) run their networks, it is almost impossible for anyone's broadband to receive the maximum speeds advertised by most suppliers.

However, as of last year the industry agreed a voluntary code of practice with Ofcom which requires ISPs to tell customers the maximum speed they can expect from their line and allow them to trade down if they cannot get the service they want.

If you're unhappy with your broadband speed, here are three things you can do to help.

• Test the speed you are actually getting by using a speed checker.
• Avoid surfing at peak times. Rush hour on the web tends to be at its worst between 8pm and 10pm.
• Contact your supplier. If you're unhappy with any aspect of your service or suspect you're not receiving everything you are entitled to under your contract, call your provider and complain. If you are still not satisfied, you may want to consider contacting the Office of the Telecommunications Ombudsman (Otelo) to seek further redress.

**Articles featured on BeatThatQuote.com are for information purposes only and reflect the views of individual writers. Articles are not, and should not be considered as, financial advice. BeatThatQuote.com strongly encourages our readers not to rely solely on information contained within this article/our website, but to conduct their own research and seek independent advice about the financial products they purchase.**