Dan Howdle | October 1st, 2024
While many people have been hit hard over recent years by the increasing cost of household bills, one area that often gets overlooked is broadband. Once that initial contract period is over, monthly bills can increase dramatically – something many households overlook. Just switching to a different provider can offer a huge saving each month. So, with that in mind, we'll take a look at the cheap deals available right now that could save you a packet.
This is where we highlight what we feel is the best, cheap broadband deal on offer right now, which we don't believe skimps on quality or reliability.
NOW Broadband Full Fibre 75 is the cheapest, widely available broadband we can find offered in the UK right now. And that's saying something, because this provides really good speeds averaging at 75Mbps, with uploads of about 17Mbps. Once, and not too long ago either, those were some of the fastest speeds available anywhere. So it's a sign of how much things have changed in recent years that, even though slower speed broadband is still out there, NOW would much rather you opted for their Full Fibre 75. In fact, for over two thirds of UK households, this is the slowest speed they're prepared to offer. And the remaining third are still able to access broadband at this price via NOW's Superfast package – so they're really leaving nobody out here.
One thing to note: NOW Broadband is owned by (and ultimately their services are provided by) Sky. So you may even find yourself being offered a higher speed package, branded as Sky. But our advice would be to ask yourself if you really need those. At £23 per month, this really does offer all the speed most people really need at an affordable price. And don't forget, NOW is one of very few providers who don't actually perform a credit check, so that may make it easier to access for many people.
Not necessarily the cheapest, but what we think is the best broadband deal right now which offers a little something extra. That might be a bill credit, gift vouchers or free gifts. And this month, it's definitely the former.
We've featured this deal before, but there's a reason for that. Virgin Media consistently offer their main broadband packages at reasonable prices and always with the added temptation of a reward – and right now the one we'd like to draw your attention to is its M125 Fibre Broadband with a £70 bill credit. Basically, that means you'll have a surplus on your account which will be used to pay your first couple of bills, and most of the third. So you can kind of think of this as two-and-a-bit months free. You can also think of it as bringing down the effective cost per month to under £23. So it's a really worthwhile saving.
Virgin Media's M125 broadband package has long been one of the best deals available – if you can get it, of course. At present about 60% or households can. It's a really good speed, kind of in the Goldilocks zone – not crazily fast, but definitely not slow either. So, understandably, it's their most popular package. You should actually see speeds of about 132Mbps, but bear in mind that the uploads are a little less optimal at 20Mbps. However, we think they're both perfectly adequate for most people. You'll also get Virgin Media's excellent router, and currently they're not asking for their £35 upfront fee – although of course that may change in future.
The best and cheapest broadband deal that comes with a phone line, something that's increasingly unusual.
Not many providers now include a pay-as-you-go phone line with their broadband packages by default. And in fact, we're not sure any do when it comes to their full fibre FTTP speeds. Except Sky – they're still offering pay-as-you-go calls across their whole broadband range, and we think that right now, the pick of the bunch might well be their Full Fibre 150 deal. You're going to get average download speeds of 145Mbps, and at least 100Mbps due to their speed guarantee. The uploads are relatively slow, at 28Mbps, but still perfectly usable. And if calls are important to you, they also offer optional add-ons to include either evening and weekend calls, anytime calls or unlimited international calls for £8, £16 and £18 respectively.
The provider recently rebranded all it's broadband services to 'Full Fibre', and to mark the occasion it's offered some fairly generous rewards. In this case that's currently in the form of a £40 gift card. And they ask for no upfront fees, aside from a small £5 charge at the point of ordering, which is refunded on the first bill.
Full fibre is the newest broadband technology, and it's still in the process of being rolled out across the UK. However, that's now getting to the point where about two thirds of households can now access it. It means speeds of up to 1000Mbps are available to people right now, with the promise of even higher numbers than that in the very near future. It's difficult to see who would need that, but there is a school of thought that there's no such thing as too-fast broadband, and we can see why many people feel that way. And those kinds of speeds are about as close to future-proof as it gets. So, all that said, here's our choice for the cheapest way to get access to full fibre this month.
While you can pay more for a faster deal, we think that NOW's Full Fibre 100 is about the most economical way to get into proper full fibre speeds right now. For £25 per month, you'll be able to access average speeds of 100Mbps, with a guarantee of at least 90Mbps, along with an additional wifi guarantee what ensures you get a great signal in every room of your home. Uploads are about 18Mbps, which should be adequate, if not earth-shattering. Technically, you could spend a little less and see about 75Mbps from NOW Broadband, but this is the package where the real Full Fibre speeds start – and we think this is enough for most users.
One other thing we really like about NOW Broadband is their refusal to conduct credit checks so, in theory at least, great value packages like this are available to the widest number of people possible. Like their big brother Sky, there's a small £5 fee to pay initially, which is refunded on the first bill, so it's not an extra payment.
Here we'll look at the best bundle we see which includes both broadband and TV services. That narrows things down a bit provider-wise, so often the deals are a bit limited. But we'll show you what we feel is the best choice right now.
Virgin Media aren't currently offering any extras (such as bill credits or free TVs), but if the lowest priced broadband and TV bundle is what you're looking for, we'd avoid the higher-end packages which usually include those extras, and just look at their basic, long-running Big Bundle deal. It's been around for years, but for many households it offers a great value combination of decent broadband (and currently that's very decent at 264Mbsp), and a respectable spread of TV channels. You'll see over 100 to view and record via your new Virgin TV 360 box. And you'll also get weekend calls to UK landlines and mobiles thrown in too.
The selection of mainstream providers offering no mid-contract price-hikes is effectively nil these days. Most recently, TalkTalk were able to offer it, but sadly no more. There are however a tiny handful of nationally available providers who have jumped into that space, although they're very much of the lesser known variety.
Rebel Internet definitely falls into the category of 'lesser known'. Not least because they're effectively brand new. We've been including there products in our comparisons for a few months now, and it seems they're very much operating as a 'challenger' provider, bringing a slightly new pricing model which is proving quite popular (prices are fixed across the various contract lengths). And because it takes advantage of the nationally available Openreach network, Rebel Internet is available to just about every UK household. They offer speeds up to 1000Mbps, but when it comes to saving money, we think their 115 Broadband full fibre plan is fast enough for most households, plus that's backed up by an excellent router. You can expect to see average download speeds of 115Mbps, with uploads of about 20Mbps.
They also offer £60 voucher which you can spend as you wish. It's quite a long contract, but the whole point is that it gives you a fixed price which you'll know isn't going to increase. So that's very much a feature, not a bug.
"Switching broadband isn't always about going faster for the same money. Sometimes we need to cut back on our household overheads, which is why we've built this tailored cheap broadband comparison to show you only the thriftiest deals where you live. Just enter your postcode and we will do the rest."
Dan Howdle, Broadband and mobile expert
There are various factors to think about when shopping around for cheap broadband and WiFi. The main things to consider when deciding between broadband deals are:
Cable.co.uk's broadband postcode checker will find you the best deals, providers and speeds where you live. It's free and takes less than a minute to check and compare.
Bundling your broadband, TV, and/or phone services usually means you’ll save money. This is because providers offer large discounts to customers who want to sign up to multiple products. Bundles are always cheaper than individual contracts, and you can have your bills and customer service with the same provider, giving you one point of contact. Virgin Media lets you bundle in a SIM too, making that option particularly good value, while Sky offers very attractive pricing when bundling Sky Broadband and Sky Stream TV.
Many broadband providers offer freebies and special offers alongside their broadband tariffs, such as introductory pricing discounts, cashback rewards, gift cards, vouchers, or bill credit. While the rewards can be enticing, it’s important to consider the deal apart from the rewards, as the rewards will not impact the speed or quality of the service you’ll get. Sometimes, rewards can also look attractive at first glance, but in reality the package may still work out more expensive than competing packages across the length of the contract.
Some broadband providers offer attractive introductory pricing for the initial period of your contract, which is a great way to save money, but you might find a big price increase or extra charges after the introductory period of your contract. Be sure to read the contract terms carefully to make sure you really are looking at the cheapest deals, not just a great deal for a few months before you get hit with an unexpected monthly price increase.
Cashback rewards are incentives that refund you part of your initial payment, after a fixed period of time has passed (usually between 30-90 days) from when you first signed up for your contract; the details will be included in your contract terms). The claims process for rewards differs from provider to provider, but most of the time you will need to submit a claim using an online form. Your cashback reward will likely be paid directly into a bank account, or sent via cheque, made out to the person who is being billed for the service being provided.
Shopping vouchers or gift card rewards are similar to cashback offers, but they are specific to certain retailers. Internet providers will often reward new customers with vouchers for popular high-street or online retailers to entice them to sign up. Similar to cashback rewards, claims processes vary and you’ll likely be required to submit an online form to get your reward.
See more: How to claim vouchers and rewards
Some broadband providers have initial setup fees, and/or phone line installation charges, but these charges are often waived or reduced for new customers. Be sure to check these fees up-front to avoid any unexpected costs.
Broadband with no upfront fees
If your new deal requires equipment, for example, a new router, some cheap broadband offers will give it to you for free when you sign up. Many providers will offer free or reduced delivery charges for any required equipment, so be sure to check your terms up front so you know what you’re being charged for. At the end of your contract with a provider, you will likely need to return any equipment or recycle it, and the process will vary depending on your service provider.
Standard contract terms – A standard broadband contract is a two-way agreement, covering both your obligations as a customer, and your service provider in terms of the services you’ll receive. Broadband contracts usually run for 12, 18 or even 24 months and, in theory, the longer you can commit, the cheaper the price – although each provider tends to have their preferred contract length and won't vary from that.
Broadband price hikes – Unless explicitly stated, your broadband provider can change any part of your broadband provision at any time, including the monthly cost. If this happens, however, the 30-day cooling off period you’re entitled to will be refreshed, allowing you to switch away to a new provider without incurring a penalty.
Broadband providers are currently wise to this rule, though, and are now explicitly stating they intend to raise their prices annually (every April 1) to the tune of roughly RPI inflation plus 3.9%. It's a way of side-stepping this get-out clause, but Ofcom is currently looking at this practice closely, so expect it to be banned soon, and shortly thereafter providers finding yet another way around the rules.
Fixed-price contracts – Sometimes, broadband providers will offer fixed-price contracts, which means you won’t be subject to a price increase during the minimum term of your contract period. Many of the larger broadband providers don’t offer fixed-price contracts, and you should check the contract terms for mid-contract price increases to avoid any unexpected charges.
In addition, when a fixed-term contract ends, a provider is likely to steeply raise or ‘hike’ the monthly price of your service, unless you switch to a new deal. That’s why when you know your contract is nearing completion, it’s worth shopping around between providers to secure a better deal. Thanks to Ofcom regulations, broadband providers must inform you when your contract is due to finish so you can decide what you want to do before it happens.
Some deals offer fixed, cheap monthly rates, but also include extra costs like installation, delivery or activation fees – sometimes payable upfront. You may also have to purchase equipment, such as a router, although that's unlikely. We always show the extra costs that we're aware of, but be sure to read the fine print on the provider's website or in the contract terms if in doubt.
Use our switching reminder and we'll email you when your deal is coming to an end so you don't lose out!
Set reminderThe cheapest broadband deals are subject to change daily. The cheapest broadband price is currently £23 per month. Please refer to the table at the top of this page to find out what the cheapest deal is available today.
Our experts search the market to ensure you get the best broadband deal for your budget. Use our postcode checker to find out what the best deals in your area are available today.
Not often, but you might find free gifts or vouchers if you check regularly. You may also find cheaper monthly costs as limited time offers, particularly around Black Friday. And if you see any of these providers reduce or remove their extra costs, then you know it's probably a good deal.
Most cheap broadband deals in the UK are for entry-level fibre broadband, also known as 'superfast' broadband. This is usually fine for single people, couples, and smaller households where nobody uses the internet to stream content or play games very often. Larger households and heavy users may be better suited to Virgin Media or Full Fibre deals if they can get them.
These days you can find true broadband-only deals without landline requirements, even though they were rare just a few years ago. Even big players like BT offer broadband-only packages. Due to its separate network, Virgin Media has always provided the option of no landlines.
Yes, there are some providers who don’t do credit checks on new broadband customers. Direct Save Telecom, Plusnet and NOW Broadband offer cheaper broadband deals with no credit checks required - perfect for finding a fast and affordable home broadband deal if you’re worried about your credit. The bigger providers tend to check credit before accepting new customers, so this is good to be aware of before you apply.
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