Broadband is a student essential. Course resources, from timetables to reading lists, are increasingly only available online and internet-only deals can help you save a lot. So, there’s no reason to overpay for home broadband. Here’s five ways to save.
1. Know your usage.
Even larger student households could use fairly few GBs (gigabytes) a month if everyone only goes online to browse. Almost all the cheapest deals have download limits so it’s worth checking.
More likely, however, is that you and your housemates will often need to download large files of research or course resources and then watch online videos and/or download music on top of that. If that sounds familiar, an unlimited deal is essential.
2. Don’t forget the phone.
Always remember to factor in the cost of line rental when comparing broadband deals. The only way of avoiding it at the moment is with Virgin Media.
If, like many student households, you’ve all got mobile contracts and won’t use the landline at all consider line rental from O2 or Be broadband without inclusive calls which is considerably cheaper.
Also note that if any of you have a mobile contract with O2, Orange or (soon) Vodafone you’re entitled to a £5-ish a month discount on your home broadband – so ask for it!
3. Don’t worry about contract length too much.
Students often worry about finding a deal that lasts for the length of the academic year but nine times out of ten it’s cheaper and easier to get a 12 month deal and pay the whole contract.
Short contract or no contract deals don’t come with free hardware and also attract a hefty sign up fee. Unless you’re moving every six months or more often, it’s not worth it.
4. Stay clear of mobile broadband (90% of the time).
Currently, most mobile broadband deals seem to be made for commuters. And no-one else. Download limits are small and seem to be shrinking by the day, speeds are less than speedy yet prices have barely moved and, in terms of pounds per GB, home broadband is far cheaper.
It’s tempting, granted, to get online on the go but a combination of free wi-fi and campus computers will achieve the same thing for hundreds of pounds less and only a little more effort.
5. Look for the best deals…
The best broadband deals are online, at least for the first contract. Of course, the best and, sometimes, the very cheapest student broadband is the deal you negotiate with your provider. But that’s another money saving story for another time…