UK homes are wasting an estimated £625.3 million on broadband bills annually due to a simple error
Approximately 7.5 million households in the UK are thought to be paying for broadband speeds they don’t need
UK households could be wasting £625.3 million on their broadband bills every year by paying for speeds they don’t need, according to estimates from a new study.*
The research found that over a quarter (28%)** of broadband users - roughly 7.5 million households nationwide - have faster packages than they actually need.***
The research from Go.Compare broadband asked UK residents how they use their broadband and which speeds they’re paying for. According to the comparison site, many stated that they were paying for faster speeds than they needed, based on their usage requirements - meaning they could be wasting money.
Go.Compare’s broadband experts are now urging customers to consider what they use their Wi-Fi for and to check which speeds they actually need, as switching to a slower package could save a significant amount of money, without affecting your online activities.
So, how much money could UK households save? Go.Compare estimates that those overpaying are spending £6.93 more per month on average than they need to - which adds up to £83.16 annually.* Nationwide, this equates to a massive £52.1 million, meaning a fortune is being lost on broadband bills across the UK and there is a huge opportunity for households to save money.
Some could make an even larger saving - the research found that two thirds (64%) of those paying for speeds over 100Mbps don’t need broadband as fast as this.** These households could be overpaying by the most, spending an average of £9.94 more per month than needed.*
Additionally, over a third (35%) of people admitted that they don’t know what speeds they’re paying for, meaning many could be paying for a broadband package that doesn’t suit their needs.**
Catherine Hiley, spokesperson at Go.Compare broadband, commented: "When choosing which broadband package to buy, it can be tempting just to go for the fastest speeds. However, there’s no need to fork out for the top speeds 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.
“If you’re not sure what speeds you need, use our free speed recommendation tool. 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.”
To find out more about broadband speeds and how to find the right package, visit: https://www.gocompare.com/broadband/what-broadband-speed-do-i-need/.
//ENDS//
Contact Information
Alex McCormick
Notes to editors
*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 below) to find out how much each group of internet users was overpaying for their broadband. We then applied the average amount users overpay on their broadband 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.
**This online survey of 2000 UK adults, was commissioned by Front Door Communications on behalf of Go.Compare and conducted by market research company OnePoll, in accordance with the Market Research Society's code of conduct. Data was collected between 19th and 21st November. All participants are double-opted in to take part in research and are paid an amount depending on the length and complexity of the survey. This survey was overseen and edited by the OnePoll research team. OnePoll are company partners of the MRS and has corporate membership to ESOMAR.
***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.
For further information please contact:
Front Door Communications at knock.knock@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/.