Can I cancel my broadband early?

Switching broadband providers is key to finding a cheaper deal, but if you're mid-contract, leaving your broadband provider before your contract is up can cost you large.  This short guide covers what to consider when leaving and how much it might cost.

Will I be charged for leaving my broadband contract early?

Typically, if you leave your broadband provider before your contract is up, you'll likely have to pay a penalty to leave. How much varies depending on on your provider, but usually you'll have to pay for any outstanding months on your agreement. You may also need to pay for equipment your provider's sent you, such as your router.

However, if you are close to the end of your contract, use our Broadband comparison to see how much you could save by switching, and work out from there whether it's worth paying the early exit penalties. 

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Can I ever get out of my broadband contract without paying?

Getting out of a broadband contract without paying anything can be challenging. However, there are a few circumstances where you can leave penalty free:

You haggle your way out of the contract penalty free

If you're not happy what you're paying, contact your provider and explain your situation. They might be willing to offer you a better-priced package, increased speeds or both. Do note, switching to a cheaper package would usually require you to sign up to a new contract. See our Broadband haggling guide for top tips for slashing your internet and line rental bills.

The provider's changed the terms

If your provider makes changes to the contract during your term, such as increasing prices significantly (beyond what's been outlined in your contract), you may be able to leave penalty-free. But it's now commonplace for providers to include annual price rises in its contracts, so this is becoming rarer.

There's a fault with your service

If your provider is signed up to Ofcom's Code of practice (most of the big providers are), it'll commit to providing you with a minimum download and upload speed.

If it fails to meet these speeds once you've signed up, you can log a fault with your provider. Some providers, such as BT, allow you to do this online. Once logged, it'll carry out tests on your line and if it can't fix the issue within a certain timeframe, usually 30 days, you'll be able to leave penalty-free.

You're in the cooling-off period

When you initially sign up for a broadband contract, there's is usually a 14-day cooling-off period during which you can cancel without penalty, for any reason.

  • You'll usually need to return your equipment to avoid extra charges

    Most firms require you to return any equipment, such as your router, regardless of whether you're ending your contract early or not. If you don't it may charge you additional fees to cover its costs. For example, EE will charge up to £175 for failing to return its equipment. 

How to cancel your broadband – provider-by-provider help

Pick your provider for full help on how to cancel, and what your provider charges to do so. We've help for the following providers

How to cancel Sky broadband

If you're out-of-contract with Sky, you're free to leave without penalty and can switch to your new provider without having to contact Sky. Your new provider will handle your switch, including telling Sky you're leaving. 

If you're still in contract, and you switch provider, Sky will issue you a final bill that'll outline any cancellation fees you might owe. If you wish to find out how much your cancellation fee is first, you'll need to contact Sky. It scored 'OK' (5.8/10) in our most recent customer service poll.

Are there any cancellation fees I need to pay when leaving?

The cost of ending your contract early with Sky is determined by several factors, including the remaining duration of your minimum term contract, any days already billed, and any additional subscriptions like Sky TV.

It's important to note that you must also return any equipment provided by Sky, otherwise you may face a charge.

If you change your mind after signing up, you can cancel without penalty during the cooling off period. Sky offers a more generous 31 day cooling off period to compared to other providers, which typically only offer 14 days.

However, if you wish to cancel your broadband after the cooling off period has passed, you must provide Sky with 14 days notice. 

Where do I need to go to cancel my Sky broadband service?

If you want to reach Sky's customer service team and let them know you'd like to leave, you can contact it on 0333 7591 018 – it starts as an automated service to find out why you're calling, but you should get put through to the right place after a couple of minutes.

If you'd prefer to email, you can also email mysky@sky.uk

How to cancel BT broadband

If you're out-of-contract with BT, you're free to leave without penalty and can switch to your new provider without having to contact BT. Your new provider will handle your switch, including telling BT you're leaving. 

If you're still in contract, and you switch provider, BT will issue you a final bill that'll outline any cancellation fees you might owe. If you wish to find out how much your cancellation fee is first, you'll need to contact BT. It scored 'Good' (6.6/10) in our most recent customer service poll.

Are there any cancellation fees I need to pay when leaving?

BT charges an 'early termination fee' based on how many months you have left on your contract at the time of cancellation (minus VAT), although from this it’ll subtract 1% if you send your final payment early, as well as take off any costs it’ll save as a result of you leaving early. It'll then add VAT to the final amount.

If you cancel part way through a month, it’ll work out the charge on a pro rata basis. You’ll need to give 30 days’ notice if you wish to leave.

Where do I need to go to cancel my BT broadband service?

You can call BT broadband on 0800 7831 401. You can also contact it online via its online chatbot.

How to cancel Virgin Media broadband

If you're out-of-contract with Virgin Media, you're free to leave without penalty and can switch to your new provider. However, if you're moving to a provider that isn't on Virgin's network, for example, to a provider on Openreach's network Virgin’s network (for example, BT, Sky, Vodafone, etc.), you will need to contact Virgin to cancel. Your new provider won't do this for you. 

Currently, there is no established process for providers on different networks to notify each other of a cancellation. However, we anticipate that Ofcom will introduce such a process later this year.

If you're still in contract, and you switch provider, Virgin will issue you a final bill that'll outline any cancellation fees you might owe. If you wish to find out how much your cancellation fee is before you cancel, you'll need to contact Virgin. Its customer service scored 'OK' (5/10) in our most recent customer service poll.

Are there any cancellation fees I need to pay when leaving?

If you leave before the end of your contract, Virgin Media will charge an early disconnection fee. These fees are calculated based on the package you're on and how long you have left of your minimum contract. 

Should you decide to terminate your Virgin Media broadband contract early, especially if you have bundled services, it's important to note that the accumulated exit fees could add up to a significant amount. If you're unsure, you can contact Virgin for a full breakdown on what you might owe should you still wish to cancel.

You’ll need to give 30 days’ notice before you leave. This means if you wish to cancel with five months remaining on your contract, you’ll need to provide 30 days’ notice and be charged for the remaining four months.

Where do I need to go to cancel my Virgin Media broadband service?

You can contact Virgin Media on 150 from your Virgin Media home phone or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone. If you prefer, you can also contact it via its online chatbot.

How to cancel Vodafone broadband

If you're out-of-contract with Vodafone, you're free to leave without penalty and can switch to your new provider without having to contact Vodafone. Your new provider will handle your switch, including telling Vodafone you're leaving. 

If you're still in contract, and you switch provider, Vodafone will issue you a final bill that'll outline any cancellation fees you might owe. If you wish to find out how much your cancellation fee is first, you'll need to contact Vodafone. It scored 'Good' (6.1/10) in our most recent customer service poll.

Are there any cancellation fees I need to pay when leaving?

To calculate your total charges when leaving your contract early, Vodafone will total all the outstanding monthly payments remaining on your contract.

Secondly, it will remove the VAT from the total and subtract any savings it incurs as a result of your early termination, including payments to the network (for example, Openreach).

Additionally, if you choose to make your final payment in full, ahead of schedule, it provides an additional 1% deduction since it receives the entire sum at once, rather than spread out over the remaining contract months.

Where do I need to go to cancel my Vodafone broadband service?

You can call Vodafone on 191 from your Vodafone mobile or on 0333 304 0191 from any other phone. If you prefer you can also cancel via an online chatbot.

How to cancel EE broadband

If you're out-of-contract with EE, you're free to leave without penalty and can switch to your new provider without having to contact EE. Your new provider will handle your switch, including telling EE you're leaving. 

If you're still in contract, and you switch provider, EE will issue you a final bill that'll outline any cancellation fees you might owe. If you wish to find out how much your cancellation fee is first, you'll need to contact EE. It scored 'Good' (6.4/10) in our most recent customer service poll.

Are there any cancellation fees I need to pay when leaving?

EE charges an cancellation fee based on how many months you have left on your contract at the time of cancellation (minus VAT), although from this it’ll subtract 4% if you send your final payment early, as well as take off any costs it’ll save as a result of you leaving early. It'll then add VAT to the final amount.

You’ll need to give 30 days’ notice before you leave. This means if you wish to cancel with five months remaining on your contract, you’ll need to provide 30 days’ notice and be charged for the remaining four months.

Where do I need to go to cancel my EE broadband service?

To cancel your EE broadband, you can call it on 0800 079 0544 and ask to be put through to its cancellation team.

Cancelled your contract? Now find the best deal

So you've decided to cancel you current broadband contract either because you were having connection issues or paying too much. You can use our Broadband unbundled tool to find the current best deals.

For some more tips and tricks on how to get the best deal on your broadband and TV, take a look at Broadband & TV.

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