How to Read & Understand your Broadband bill

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Disclaimer: The information on this page was last updated on 09/01/2023, 14:29:08

A broadband bill can sometimes be difficult to understand. Every broadband company issues them to their customers. But sometimes, you may not know how much is due or where (or who) to pay your broadband bill to. This guide will aim to answer all your questions and queries about broadband bills.

What is on a broadband bill?

A broadband bill is a financial statement that breaks down your broadband usage with your provider over a period of time. Normally, these broadband bills are broken down into monthly statements, but sometimes, they can be issued as quarterly or maybe even annual statements. These are quite rare though, and it’s likely it’ll be monthly statements you receive.

Your broadband bill is normally broken down into multiple sections to make it easier to read.

1. A timeline - Your bill is normally calculated by a timeline, normally from two set dates a month apart. This is a way for broadband companies to break down your bill so that you can understand why you’re being charged the amount that’s listed on your bill. From the timeline, the previous month’s usage, next month’s planned usage, and any additional charges will be branching off from the timeline dates.
2. Bill Date - At the top of the vast majority of broadband bills will be the date that the broadband bill was issued.
3. Amount Due - This is the financial amount that you are due to pay for the previous month of broadband usage. On some bills issued by some broadband companies, there might already be a set amount included for the following month of payments if you’re on a set plan.
4. Payment Date - This is the deadline date by which your broadband company would like your monthly payment.

Some broadband bills can be structured differently, so it’s always a good idea to check with your broadband provider how you’ll be charged.

How to pay your broadband bill

There are multiple ways you can pay your broadband bill.

For example, these are the payment options available to you if you're a BT broadband customer.

• Direct Debit - This is a predetermined payment that will be paid out from your account on a set date.
• Online debit or credit card payment - This will likely be done through your online account.
• Phone - Phoning up your broadband company means they will complete a payment transaction for you, but you’ll need to read out your card details for them to do so. These details will be the long 16-digit card number, the expiry date and the three numbers on the back of your card.
• Bank Transfer - This can be done through online banking apps and sent manually. Make sure you send it by the due date given to you by your broadband company!

Why is my broadband bill so high?

Your broadband bill might be high for several reasons.

One reason is that your broadband company may have applied a special price or promotional offer to you when you first signed up with them. This special price will have an expiry date, but for a set amount of time it will reduce how much you’re paying for broadband over a set period.

Any price increases will be automatically scratched off when the discounted offer ends, and the standard price for the broadband package you’re on will now be the new price you pay.

These promotional offers will be carefully outlined on any current or previous bills you have, and the end date and month should be included.

Another reason why your broadband bill may have changed is because of any changes to services or adjustments you've made to your broadband.

These changes will be added to your bill and the standard amount charged monthly. This means that for one month only, the adjustments will appear on your bill and then normal service will resume and you’ll be back to paying the price you’re contracted to.

If your broadband provider increases your bills above the rate of inflation (or what is stated in your contract), you might be able to leave your package early without paying any exit fees. They will give you 30 days’ notice if this is happening and let you know your options.

How to reduce your broadband bills

Haggling!

Haggling can be a fairly straightforward, and less terrifying, experience if you know where to start.

If you try haggling with your broadband provider, be confident and use facts! Your broadband provider WANTS to keep you at their company to stop their competitors from gaining a new customer. They might try and offer you a better deal in your next contract.

This is important to remember too, you’ll probably have a better chance of getting a lower price for your broadband if you’re coming towards the end of your contract. It’s unlikely the broadband provider will offer any discount if you’ve only just started with their broadband.

Cut back on non-essential services

Cutting back could save you money because you may be paying for a broadband package that isn’t the best fit for you.

For example, if you don’t use the internet for heavy tasks, it might not be worth having ultrafast speeds.Switching to a broadband package that’s of a lower price or slower might be the best option, because you could save yourself quite a bit of money over a 12-month period.

If your broadband package is bundled with other services such as TV or phone servuces which you don’t use regularly, it might be worth cancelling these.

Search for better deals

Searching for better deals can actually be a tool in your arsenal when it comes to haggling for a better deal. Having said that, better deals from other broadband companies are tempting in themselves. So if there’s one out there, go for it!

Leave!

If you feel like you are being overcharged for the services you stay for, don’t stay in that contract and find one that’s better suited for what you want.

Are broadband bills proof of address?

Yes, broadband bills are a proof of address and can be used to clarify this if ever needed.

This is because broadband nowadays is considered as a utility along with gas, electricity and water. Because utility bills count as documents for proof of address, then broadband bills fall under this category.

If you’re using your broadband bill as proof of address, then the only information you really need to disclose is your home address. You don’t need to disclose any information relating to what broadband package you’re on, how long your contract is, for example. The only thing that’s needed is the address that the broadband is billed to.

I’ve been sent a fake broadband bill

Unfortunately, like with other utility bills, there could be some situations where you receive a fake broadband bill sent by scam companies trying to get your money from you by posing as Sky, BT, Virgin, or any other company that might be your broadband provider.

What makes fake bills such a wary thing to look for is how, upon first glance, they can look normal and legitimate. There are, however, a few slight differences that if you spot them could save you from falling victim to scammers.

• It might not be clear what the bill is asking for, it might just state something like ‘internet service.’
• The company can’t be contacted - there’s no email address or postcode, or even a telephone number.
• The logo might look fairly similar to the company they’re trying to impersonate, but there might be a few changes that make it different.

If you receive a fake bill, don’t necessarily throw it away. This is because if you report it to the police, it can be used as evidence of how other scam letters or emails are structured, because the likelihood is that they’ve targeted other households with this scam, not just yours!

If they try to send you more than one scam bill in a short space of time, report the incident to the police.

And if you’re not too sure whether it’s a scam bill or not, contact your broadband provider to see if they sent out any billing statements to your address recently.

What to do if you think your broadband bill is wrong

If you’ve been sent your monthly broadband bill and you think it’s wrong, then hold off not pursuing this case further, especially if you believe you’ve been overcharged or there’s gaps in the timeline outlined on the bill.

Check with members of your household firstly and explain why you think your broadband bill is wrong. If they agree with you and think that something’s not quite right, then contact your broadband provider as soon as possible so you can discuss your concerns with them.

The subject matter of this webpage is subject to the opinion of, and factual research carried out by, the author. We always strive to provide the most up to date, correct and informative information in all of our webpages, but from time to time, you may spot an error or something you don't agree with. Please report this to us at info@utilityswitchboard.com

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