Have you noticed that loyal broadband customers often receive worse deals than new customers?
We’ve interviewed 4,000 broadband bill payers to find the true cost of being loyal to your broadband provider and which generation is the best (or worst) at keeping on top of their broadband deal.
Key findings
- Over 60% of broadband bill payers are out of contract and free to switch.
- Out-of-contract customers pay £74.87 more over the typical contract period.
- On average, customers can save £183.60.
- The main reason cited for not switching was satisfaction with their current provider.
- On average, customers stay with their provider for 5 years and 11 months.
- People aged between 65+ are more likely to be out of contract.
- Bill payers aged 25-34 are better at renewing or switching their broadband deal.
- South West, Scotland, and Northern Ireland have the highest percentage of broadband bill payers free to switch to a cheaper deal.
Which generation is the best (or worst) at switching broadband?
| Age / generation | In contract | Out of contract | Not sure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | 28% | 55% | 18% |
| 25-34 | 34% | 57% | 9% |
| 35-44 | 31% | 60% | 9% |
| 45-54 | 29% | 61% | 10% |
| 55-64 | 29% | 61% | 10% |
| 65+ | 25% | 64% | 11% |
| Average | 30% | 60% | 10% |
Customers aged 65 and older are the most likely to be out of contract and free to switch. Followed by 45-54s.
Bill payers aged 25-34 are the best at regularly switching their broadband deal. However, the study revealed all age groups should be switching more frequently, with a total of at least 60% out of contract.
What are the main reasons bill payers don’t switch their broadband deal?
| Reason | Total | 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
I like my provider |
40% | 29% | 40% | 43% | 32% | 37% | 45% |
|
I can't find a better deal |
24% | 14% | 21% | 22% | 26% | 28% | 27% |
|
Too much hassle |
19% | 13% | 17% | 16% | 23% | 21% | 21% |
| No particular reason | 17% | 37% | 20% | 17% | 16% | 15% | 17% |
|
Worried would lose connection |
12% | 9% | 17% | 14% | 14% | 9% | 9% |
| Worried would pay for two contracts | 8% | 12% | 15% | 9% | 6% | 4% | 3% |
|
Provider holds my email address |
7% | 8% | 14% | 4% | 4% | 7% | 8% |
|
Terminology is confusing |
7% | 3% | 13% | 10% | 5% | 4% | 3% |
|
I don't know how to cancel |
7% | 10% | 16% | 9% | 3% | 4% | 2% |
|
Didn't know they could switch |
3% | 5% | 8% | 5% | 2% | 1% | 0% |
| Only one provider available in the area | 3% | 5% | 7% | 2% | 2% | 2% | 1% |
Older customers are more likely to stay with their provider due to satisfaction with the service, unlike younger customers aged 18–24.
Overall, older bill payers understand and know more about the switching process compared to 18-24 year olds. Customers aged 65+ are less likely to cite concerns such as losing connection, paying for two contracts, confusing terminology, or uncertainty about how to switch.
How much could bill payers be saving?
| Age | Current spend | Typical savings |
|---|---|---|
| 18-24 | £29.49 | £78.00 |
| 25-34 | £31.52 | £102.38 |
| 35-44 | £35.31 | £147.87 |
| 45-54 | £39.65 | £199.96 |
| 55-64 | £41.79 | £225.64 |
| 65+ | 44.68 | £260.33 |
| Average | £38.29 | £183.60 |
*Savings calculated by comparing current contract cost over one year vs. Virgin Media’s M125 Fibre Broadband Only (£22.99 as of 09/07/2025). This deal was chosen as its download speed of 132Mb for most domestic needs.
The data shows that customers aged 65+ are missing out on the largest potential savings, followed by 55s to 64-year-olds.
However, everyone could make savings on their broadband bill if they switched more frequently. On average, bill payers are missing out on £183.60 a year.
Which area pays the most for broadband?
| Region | Average spend | In contract | Out of contract | Not sure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Midlands | £41.15 | 32% | 57% | 12% |
| North West | £40.59 | 32% | 60% | 8% |
| South West | £39.08 | 29% | 56% | 15% |
|
Northern Ireland |
£38.42 | 25% | 67% | 8% |
|
East of England |
£38.34 | 33% | 57% | 10% |
|
East Midlands |
£37.85 | 26% | 66% | 8% |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £37.84 | 33% | 56% | 11% |
| South East | £37.68 | 33% | 58% | 10% |
| North East | £36.99 | 27% | 60% | 13% |
| Wales | £36.96 | 39% | 54% | 7% |
| London | £36.01 | 26% | 68% | 7% |
| Scotland | £35.75 | 22% | 62% | 16% |
West Midlands customers have the highest average broadband spend, and many are uncertain about their contract status.
Surprisingly, customers based in London spend the second least on broadband and has one of the highest proportion of bill payers out of contract. One factor behind this could be the more choice customers have for broadband providers, as the capital has a higher density of altnets operating in the area.
Average spend on a broadband contract by city, and which city has the fewest switchers?
| City | Spend | In contract | Out of contract | I don't know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolverhampton | £42.93 | 23% | 68% | 9% |
| Wrexham | £41.91 | 49% | 45% | 6% |
| Liverpool | £41.79 | 25% | 69% | 6% |
| Gloucester | £41.58 | 18% | 71% | 12% |
| Exeter | £41.57 | 43% | 57% | 0% |
| Birmingham | £41.03 | 37% | 49% | 14% |
| Manchester | £41.01 | 33% | 58% | 9% |
| Cambridge | £40.98 | 36% | 58% | 6% |
| Hull | £40.82 | 27% | 73% | 0% |
| Leeds | £40.51 | 29% | 59% | 13% |
| Aberdeen | £40.26 | 33% | 48% | 20% |
| Oxford | £39.70 | 36% | 59% | 5% |
| Chelmsford | £39.67 | 34% | 52% | 14% |
| Bristol | £39.35 | 23% | 60% | 17% |
| Coventry | £38.85 | 24% | 61% | 15% |
| Belfast | £38.28 | 25% | 66% | 8% |
| Swansea | £38.28 | 34% | 58% | 8% |
| Brighton & Hove | £38.14 | 35% | 55% | 10% |
| York | £37.82 | 34% | 53% | 13% |
| Edinburgh | £37.62 | 27% | 57% | 16% |
| Sheffield | £37.25 | 37% | 50% | 13% |
| Leicester | £37.00 | 20% | 72% | 8% |
| Worcester | £36.85 | 41% | 56% | 4% |
| Newcastle | £36.67 | 25% | 61% | 14% |
| Portsmouth | £36.51 | 46% | 54% | 0% |
| Southampton | £36.48 | 28% | 58% | 14% |
| Cardiff | £36.47 | 33% | 57% | 9% |
| Plymouth | £36.47 | 30% | 54% | 16% |
| Norwich | £36.01 | 27% | 63% | 10% |
| London | £36.01 | 26% | 67% | 7% |
| Milton Keynes | £35.71 | 46% | 54% | 0% |
| Glasgow | £33.92 | 17% | 67% | 16% |
| Newport | £24.40 | 30% | 70% | 0% |
Customers in Wolverhampton spend £42.93 on their broadband, 76% more than bill payers in Newport, compared to just £24.40 for customers in Newport.
Is it better to switch or renew your broadband deal?
| Savings | |
|---|---|
| Switchers | £183.60 |
| Renewers | £49.44 |
Out of the 3,997 we interviewed, we found customers who had recently renewed their broadband on average save a year, compared to £183.60 a year if you switch. This highlights that new customers typically receive the best deals.
Which provider has the most loyal customers?
| Provider | Average time with provider |
|---|---|
| KCOM | 9 years, 3 months |
| Virgin Media | 8 years, 1 month |
| BT | 7 years, 3 months |
| TalkTalk | 7 years, 3 months |
| Sky | 7 years |
| Zen Internet | 6 years, 2 months |
| Utility Warehouse | 6 years, 1 month |
| Plusnet | 5 years, 4 months |
| EE | 5 years, 3 months |
| Direct Save | 5 years, 2 months |
| Gigaclear | 4 years, 11 months |
| BeFibre | 4 years, 5 months |
| Youfibre | 4 years, 3 months |
| Trooli | 4 years, 2 months |
| Three Broadband | 3 years, 9 months |
| Cuckoo | 3 years, 8 months |
| Community Fibre | 3 years, 8 months |
| NOW Broadband | 3 years, 7 months |
| Vodafone | 3 years, 6 months |
| Hyperoptic | 3 years, 6 months |
| Origin | 3 years, 5 months |
| Average | 6 years, 4 months |
KCOM customers remain with the provider the longest, likely due to its status as the sole fixed-line option in the Hull area. KCOM is widely used in the Hull area, and for many, it’s the only fixed-line provider they can receive.
Virgin Media follows KCOM. It has previously been investigated for not allowing customers to easily cancel their contract.
How do you switch your broadband deal?
- Check if you’re free to switch
- Compare deals available in your area
- Complete the check-out process. It’s best practice to cancel your old deal, but because of the One Touch Switch process, in most cases you won’t need to
- Switching day. Your new provider will let you know when they’re switching you over to your new service. Connect your new router. While there may be up to an hour of downtime, most customers experience minimal disruption.
For more information, read our guide on how to switch your broadband deal.
Top 5 tips to lower your broadband deal
1. Providers save the best deals for new customers, so it’s best to switch
Haggling is a great way to slash your broadband, but don’t expect to get the deal you see advertised for new customers. It pays to switch providers, it’s unlikely you’ll have to compromise on service.
2. Renewing and haggling with your existing provider
When haggling with your provider, remember, you don’t have to accept their first offer, you won’t get cut off immediately from the service and be nice! It’s proven to get the best results when speaking to a customer service agent.
3. Only pay for what you need
It can be tempting to choose a deal with very fast speeds, but with a faster speed will come a higher price. A good starting point is an entry-level fibre deal with a download speed of 35Mb. Then budget an additional 10Mb for each additional user on the connection.
If you’re unsure what speed to get, check out our ultimate guide to broadband speeds.
4. Free gifts and switching credits
When you switch providers, they may sweeten the deal with the added bonus of gift cards and switching credit. You can work these into your savings when weighing up which provider to go with. Simply divide the value of the gift by the contract length. Then subtract this value from the monthly cost.
While free gift cards are a nice bonus, consider whether you will actually use them. It can be easy to be drawn in by big bonuses, which you may not be so useful.
5. Avoid providers which raise your bill mid-contract
The majority of providers write into their small print they’re allowed to raise the price of your bill midway through your contract - unbelievable, right! This happens in Spring, and it’s about £3 a month.
However, there are some providers which don’t raise your price mid-contract. We list them in our guide to broadband price increases.
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Methodology
Broadband Genie interviewed 3,997 broadband bill payers between 8th - 15th November 2024 through a combination of a Onepoll survey of 3,200 respondents and an in-house survey of 797.