The simple broadband error that could be costing customers up to £118 million every month - and how to fix it
Around 11% of UK adults are out of contract with their current provider and are yet to switch to a new deal – meaning they could be paying higher rates.
New research has revealed that broadband customers could be losing up to an estimated £118 million every month due to being out of contract with their current provider.[1]
According to the study, approximately one in nine UK adults (11%) are out of contract with their current broadband provider and are yet to switch to a new deal.[2] Out-of-contract customers are often moved to a more expensive standard rate, often costing more than £20 extra per month compared to their contract rate.[3]
This means an estimated 5.9 million people could be paying more than they need to for their broadband[4], equal to up to £118 million in additional costs every month, simply because they’ve delayed switching providers.
The figures, which come from a survey by Go.Compare broadband, added that a further 4% of adults don’t even know whether or not they’re out of contract with their provider.[2] This means the true figure of those making this error could be even higher if these users are also out of their minimum term.
This comes just days before broadband providers’ annual price hikes are set to be implemented, with some increasing rates by as much as £4 per month.[5] This means those who are out of contract could see bills increase even further if they don’t switch by the end of the month, but they can avoid the rises and make a huge saving by getting a new deal now.
Men and younger adults are most likely to make this mistake, according to the comparison site’s survey. Overall, 12% of men said they are out of contract and yet to switch (compared to 9% of women) while 15% of under 25s stated being in the same position - the highest percentage of any age group.
Previous research by Go.Compare also found that many broadband users also pay for faster speeds than they actually need. It revealed that just over a quarter (29%) of broadband users could switch to a cheaper package with slower speeds without noticing a difference in their broadband performance.[6]
These users are thought to be overpaying by around £7 per month on average. Nationwide, this would be the equivalent of up to £52.1 million per month being overpaid on unneeded broadband speeds, equal to a potential £625.3 million every year.[7]
The average broadband speed users pay for in the UK was found to be 115 Mbps. But these speeds aren’t needed for those who just require basic internet usage, like general web browsing and HD video streaming on a small number of devices.[5]
Catherine Hiley, spokesperson at Go.Compare broadband, said: “Out of contract rates are almost always much higher than contract prices, with costs going up by around £20 per month or even higher in some circumstances. For example, my own broadband price will rise by around £50 a month if I don’t switch at the end of the contract. So forgetting to compare deals and switch providers when your contract is up can be a very costly error.
“This is especially important now, as providers’ annual price hikes are set to take effect in a matter of days. This means your rate could go up even more if you don’t switch by the end of the month. But you have the chance to make a big saving and avoid the increase altogether by locking into a new contract before the rises are implemented. Doing this sooner rather than later could bring substantial savings over the course of the year.
“Try to avoid overpaying for faster speeds than you need, too. While it’s tempting to go for the fastest speeds you can afford, there’s no need to fork out if you only use your internet for basic activities. For example, if you just use your internet to browse your emails and watch low-resolution videos from time to time, speeds around 30 Mbps might suffice.
“On the contrary, if you have a house full of people who are streaming 4k videos, gaming online and working from home at the same time, you’ll probably need speeds in excess of 100 Mbps. It can be complicated to work out what speeds you need, but there are plenty of speed recommendation tools out there like this one to help you work it out. Just tell us how many devices your household uses and what type of devices they are and we’ll give you an instant estimate.
“Remember that there are other factors to consider aside from speed and price, too. Many broadband packages include extra perks like streaming deals and free gifts, so be sure to take these into account to make sure you’re getting the best value for money.”
More information on reducing broadband costs can be found on Go.Compare’s website.
//ENDS//
Contact Information
Alex McCormick
Notes to editors
[1] Calculated by applying the estimated number of out of contract broadband users (5,909,389.97 - as calculated below) to the potential increase in monthly costs for out-of-contract broadband users (£20 - as below). 5,909,389.97 x £20.00 = £118,187,799.40.
[2] Sourced from a survey conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Go.Compare, among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally Representative Consumers aged 18+. The data was collected between 4 November 2025 – 7 November 2025.
Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
[3] Sourced from Hey!Broadband
[4] The number of adults (aged 18+) in the UK is 55,022,253 (ONS). 10.74% = 5,909,389.97
[5] Sourced via https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/halve-cost-double-speed-ahead-36885458
[6] Sourced from a survey conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Go.Compare, among a sample of 2,000 UK Nationally Representative Consumers aged 18+. The data was collected between 19 November 2025 – 21 November 2025.
Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
To estimate the number of Brits overpaying for their broadband, we first identified the speeds needed by different groups of internet users using the above survey. These groups were identified by asking respondents about their home’s broadband usage, then comparing their responses to the speeds required to meet these needs. These speeds were based on figures from Which.
We then asked each group what internet speeds they were actually paying for to identify how many respondents were overpaying for their broadband. This number was applied to the overall number of broadband users in the survey to estimate the percentage of broadband users overpaying.
This percentage was then applied to the estimated number of UK households using broadband to estimate the number of households overpaying. The estimated number of UK households using broadband was calculated by applying the percentage of UK broadband users (according to our survey) to 2024 ONS figures on the number of households in the UK.
[7] To estimate the amount overpaid on broadband, we first calculated the average broadband price per month split by the following speeds:
- 0 to 14Mbps
- 15 to 49Mbps
- 50 to 100Mbps
- 101Mbps+
This was based on the initial monthly costs of 255 broadband only deals available on Go.Compare on 25 November 2025 (Black Friday deals excluded). This was then applied to our survey results (as above) to find out how much each group of internet users was overpaying for their broadband. We then used this to work out the average amount users overpay by. We then applied this to the total number of households overpaying for broadband to estimate the total amount overpaid on broadband across the country each month. This was then multiplied by 12 to give the yearly figure.
For further information please contact:
Front Door Communications at go.compare@fdcomms.co.uk
Keep up to date with Go.Compare on Twitter: @GoCompare or you can call 02920 020360
About Go.Compare
Go.Compare is a comparison website that enables people to compare the costs and features of a wide variety of insurance policies, financial products and energy tariffs.
It does not charge people to use its services and does not accept advertising or sponsored listings, so all product comparisons are unbiased. Go.Compare makes its money through fees paid by the providers of products that appear on its various comparison services when a customer buys through the site.
When it launched in 2006, it was the first comparison site to focus on displaying policy details rather than just listing prices, with the aim of helping people to make better-informed decisions when buying their insurance. It is this approach to comparing products that secured the company an invitation to join the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA) in 2008, and it is still the only comparison site to be a member of this organisation.
Go.Compare has remained dedicated to helping people choose the most appropriate products rather than just the cheapest and works with Defaqto, the independent financial researcher, to integrate additional policy information into a number of its insurance comparison services. This allows people to compare up to an extra 30 features of cover.
Go.Compare is part of Future Plc and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
More information can be found here www.gocompare.com or here https://www.futureplc.com/brands/.