STATE pensioners are being urged to check if they can slash their broadband and mobile bills by hundreds of pounds a year.
Older households can save money on internet and phone deals by signing up for social tariffs.
Households can save money on their broadband and mobile phones with social tariffs[/caption]
Social tariffs are offered to those on government benefits like Universal Credit.
And they can save you hundreds of pounds a year compared to standard deals.
Not only that, but they often come with no exit fees, although you should always check the terms and conditions carefully.
Virgin Media O2 is urging older households to sign up to its broadband and mobile phone social tariffs to save money.
It comes after a survey by the telecoms firm found almost half were unaware of the cheaper tariffs.
Households on Pension Credit, a benefit paid to state pensioners on low incomes, are eligible to apply for the provider’s social tariffs.
Customers can sign up for its Essential broadband package which costs £12.50 a month and comes with 15Mbits speed.
There is also an Essential broadband package which costs £20 and comes with 54Mbits speed.
O2 customers can also sign up for an Essential Plan mobile phone tariff with 10GB of data, unlimited texts and minutes for £10.
All three of the tariffs come on 30-day rolling contracts meaning you can cancel at the end of each month.
How to get the best deal
Of course, as is the case with any major buy like this, it pays to shop around to make sure you’re getting the best package and price.
The regulator Ofcom has a list on its website of all the firms offering social broadband and mobile phone tariffs.
The list can be found here – www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/saving-money/social-tariffs.
It’s worth scanning the list to find the package that best suits your needs.
It’s also worth comparing deals via comparison sites like Uswitch.
For example, Hyperoptic Fair Fibre 50 offers a 50Mbits speed social broadband tariff for £15 a month, which is £2.50 more expensive than Virgin Media O2’s Essential broadband deal but offers a quicker internet speed.
Meanwhile, 4th Utility’s social broadband tariff costs £13.99 a month and comes with 30Mbit speed.
When applying for a social tariff, you will most likely qualify if you’re on Universal Credit.
Some other benefits qualify you too, but not always, including Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Check out each provider’s website where eligibility criteria will be listed.
How to save on broadband and TV bills
HERE’S how to save money on your broadband and TV bills:
Audit your subscriptions
If you’ve got multiple subscriptions to various on-demand services, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Sky consider whether you need them all.
Could you even just get by with Freeview, which couldn’t cost you anything extra each month for TV.
Also make sure you’re not paying for Netflix twice via Sky and directly.
Haggle for a discount
If you want to stay with your provider, check prices elsewhere to set a benchmark and then call its customer services and threaten to leave unless it price matches or lowers your bill.
Switch and save
If you don’t want to stay with your current provider check if you can cancel your contract penalty free and switch to a cheaper provider.
A comparison site, such as BroadbandChoices or Uswitch, will help you find the best deal for free.
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