Millions missing out on cheaper Wi-Fi – you could be saving around £200 a year

MILLIONS of Brits are missing out on cheaper Wi-Fi, with many unaware they could be saving as much as £200 a year, according to a new report.

Communications regulator Ofcom has revealed that more than half of low income households in the UK are paying more than they should be for Wi-Fi.

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Customers on benefits are eligible for social tariffs, lower cost broadband deals which cost between £10 and £20 a month.

Families could save around £200 a year by switching to social tariffs, says Ofcom.

BT, EE, SMARTY, Community Fibre, NOW, Sky, Virgin Media, KCOM, Hyperoptic, G Network and VOXI all have social tariffs available to those receiving benefits.

This includes all UK households receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support.

The watchdog has urged TalkTalk and O2 to consider introducing their own social tariffs for customers, in both broadband and mobile markets.

Social tariffs usually offer shorter term contracts.

There are also zero early exit fees, which means families aren’t tied to the contract and can leave without paying a fine.

Ofcom has cautioned that broadband providers aren’t advertising these packages enough.

Less than 10% of people on a social tariff heard about it from their provider, the watchdog’s research found.

As of today, around 4.3million households are currently paying more than they have to for Wi-Fi.

Just 220,000 people, or 5% of households, are currently signed up to the offer, according to Ofcom’s report.

Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom’s director of network and communication, said broadband providers should be more up front with these offers, “at a time when these savings could make a massive difference”.

“We’re urging anyone who thinks they could be eligible for a discount deal to contact their provider today and potentially save hundreds of pounds.”

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