
Broadband Haggling
Top tips for slashing your internet and line rental bills
Broadband providers hike prices pretty much annually these days, so if your bill's going up, or you're on a promo deal that's ending, switching isn't the only way to cut costs. We're flooded with stories from existing customers who have slashed £100s off their bills by using a method that dates back to the dawn of civilisation... haggling.
Not what you want? Other related haggling guides...
Top 10 firms to haggle with | Haggle with BT | Haggle with Sky | Haggle with Virgin Media | Mobile Phone Haggling | Cheap Broadband | Digital TV Deals | TV MoneySaving Tricks | Compare broadband, phone & TV

'I got free broadband for 12 months'
In our November 2020 poll, TV and broadband providers took four of the top spots in our top 10 UK service companies to haggle with rankings. Sky customers, for example, reported an 86% success rate.
Here are examples from MoneySavers who've slashed their broadband bills by haggling:
I rang Sky and said I wanted to move my phone and broadband to Plusnet. Sky initially offered free broadband and £50 credit, which I didn't take. I called back later and was offered free broadband for 10 months and £10/month line rental for 10 months. I eventually managed to extend the free broadband to 12 months.
– Forumite dharle
Just had a brilliant result from Plusnet as an existing customer. I've been with them for 3 years and have experienced four line rental increases. When I received the email about the latest I gave them a call, having read about other available broadband deals on MSE. Having some numbers to hand really helped – I was offered a new customer deal and saved £120/yr.
– Rachel, via email
My contract with Virgin Media is ending. My introductory rate was £38/month, the renewal rate was £63.50/month. I phoned Virgin and chose the 'I'm thinking of leaving' option. I spoke to a lovely Scottish lady and she said she would see what she could do. As a result I am now paying £43/month for the same service, a 32% discount on the renewal rate! Thank you Martin for your encouragement.
– Forumite Bounce56
Let us know how you get on via the MSE Forum, by email using successes@moneysavingexpert.com or on Twitter using the handle @MoneySavingExp.


If you’re fed up with price hikes or your bills are going through the roof because your promo deal's ending, don't sit back. There are a host of ways you can cut costs, while not sacrificing getting what you want.
Now we know haggling's often seen as the preserve of backstreet bazaars, but it's very much alive and kicking in the UK and there are huge savings to be made, particularly on broadband and line rental packages. The broadband world's a mature market and most people already have a provider, so competition to keep existing customers is fierce.
In a nutshell, call up and ask for a better deal. Say you're paying too much and you've seen cheaper deals elsewhere. If that doesn't work, tell them you're leaving. You'll usually get put through to companies' super-powerful hidden deals departments.
Remember, right now it may take longer to get through to companies, as many say call centres and customer service staff are much busier than usual as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Why haggling works
Here's the key thing to understand:
Companies only make their best deals available to newbies; they LOVE loyal customers, because they stay with the firm through thick 'n' thin, always paying full price and never checking if their deal can be beaten.
This lets big firms rake in regular, guaranteed, easy profit. So ask yourself a question: do you want to be a customer whose business is fought for, or one who's taken for granted? If you don't want to be taken for granted, take the haggle challenge.
Haggling is just one of your price cut weapons – check new deals too
While haggling can be powerful, it's just one part of your battle to get the best deal. Sometimes the 'new customer' offers you can get from alternative providers are simply unbeatable. So by all means haggle, but always check the top deals out there too – see How to get cheap broadband for our top picks.

Haggling may sound straightforward, but perfecting it's an art. Here are our top tips for broadband haggling – for more, see our guide on haggling with Sky, the AA & more.

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