This is despite 60% of families admitting that they feel significantly more pressure to save on household bills now than a year ago. The most common reasons cited for not switching TV and broadband services are: there are too many deals to choose from; there's a lack of impartial advice; and it's too much hassle!



The net result is that a large proportion of UK consumers are paying over the odds for their digital TV, broadband and home phone services. Research has shown that on average, families who switch to the best value bundle deals can save ?30 per month, or ?360 per year (versus households who buy all three services from three separate providers).

How to find the best deal

Step 1: The first thing to consider when choosing a bundle deal is your address! The availability of digital services varies hugely depending on your location and so too does broadband pricing. Remember that headline cheap deals that you have seen advertised may not be available in your area, so use a comparison service with a postcode availability checker

Step 2: You then need to take account of your current services. Digital TV, home phone, mobile phone and existing broadband services are all important. For example:

?if you are in contract with a current broadband provider, you will not be able to switch without incurring significant cost (as you will need to buy yourself out of your contract or pay a cancellation fee)

?if you have Sky or Virgin TV, you will be eligible for broadband deals that may well be much cheaper than the best value standalone broadband deals quoted online (these are often referred to as ?bundle deals? as they involve bundling more than one service with a single provider)

?similarly if you are a mobile phone customer with O2 or Orange for example, you can again benefit from very cheap broadband deals that may also be cheaper than the standalone deals on offer

Step 3: Clearly define what you need from your service taking into account all members of the family before looking for the right deal. Be clear on your family's needs in terms of: broadband speed; broadband usage limits; and a wireless versus a wired connection. What TV channels do you want to watch? Do you want premium channels such as Sky Sports? Do you want to call certain countries for free?

Step 4: Match your unique needs to the best value deal. Remember the headline cheapest deal may look attractive, but may well not suit your household's needs. And often you will be signing up for a 12 or 18 month contract. So you will have plenty of time to regret a hasty decision.

Step 5: Migrate your service. Getting these service installed should be straight forward, but migrating services from another supplier can cause problems if not properly managed. For a broadband migration, you may well need a MAC (Migration Authorisation Code) and then need to follow the instructions from your new provider carefully in order to ensure that you don't go for a period without a service.