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Can I get my BT package for less?

Our expert says...

If you have been a BT customer since its early days - the provider did not formally exist until 1977 as before then it was part of the Post Office - you might find yourself paying more than you have to for certain BT services, as you may be on a legacy tariff.

If a tariff has not been updated since you first became a BT customer, then it’s a possibility you are being charged at rates that are not in line with BT’s current tariffs.

If it sounds like this could be you then it’s time to don your deerstalker and investigate switching to a different tariff that could help you reduce your bill.

The first thing you need to do is speak to BT. Providers will often offer to cut the cost of your bills in a bid to keep loyal customers - and BT should definitely offer you a better deal considering how long you've been with them and how much you pay every month.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider all your options. Here are some suggestions to help you save money on your BT services.

BT TV, broadband and phone packages

BT (www.bt.com) currently offers two TV, broadband and phone packages. Such bundles are one of the best ways to save money on your monthly bills and also the amount of hassle they cause you, as it means fewer bills and direct debits to keep track of.

The BT Sunshine Deal, which is an exclusive online offer, is a good place to start. This gives you unlimited anytime calls to UK landlines, up to 20Mb broadband, which includes the BT Home Hub, and the BT Vision TV Essential pack.

BT Vision TV Essential offers you all the Freeview TV and radio channels as standard and also allows you to catch-up with the last seven days of BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 TV. It also includes the ability to pause, rewind and record live TV.

This weighs in at £20 per month with £14.60 a month line rental on top, along with a one-off activation fee of £30. The deal comes with an 18-month broadband contract and 12-month TV contract. On-demand TV and Sky Sports are available at an extra cost.

It TV Essential doesn’t meet your TV needs then consider a package with TV Unlimited. Upgrading to this will give you the same unlimited anytime calls and 20Mb broadband, but with unlimited access to films, music videos and kids TV via on-demand TV and free ESPN.

This would cost you £28.50 per month, again with the line rental on top, as well as the £30 one-off activation fee.

Alternative TV, broadband and phone packages

Of course, there are alternatives to BT when it comes to bundling your services, and just because you have been a BT customer for a long time it doesn’t mean they’re offering you the best deal; many rival providers offer low introductory rates to entice new customers.

Sky (www.sky.com) currently offer a “Daily browsing” package, which comes with free evening and weekend calls to UK landlines, up to 20Mb broadband and satellite TV, with the Sky+ set-top box thrown in for free.

This comes with the -, which will give you the likes of Sky 1, MTV and Comedy Central as well as all the free-to-view digital TV channels. It also includes Anytime+, giving you access to on-demand TV.

This costs £19.50 per month with a 12-month contract, along with a £10 upfront payment that will be deducted from your first bill. However, this assumes you don’t want to switch landline, so your current line rental must be paid on top of this.

Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) also provides an alternative to your BT bundle - its entry-level package gives you unlimited calls to UK landlines and Virgin mobiles, up to 10Mb broadband and access to 65 digital TV channels.

The M+ TV package will give you all the usual digital TV channels along with the likes of Sky sports News, Sky Living and G.O.L.D. It also serves catch-up TV from the likes of the BBC, Channel 4, ITV and more. On-demand films are available as an optional extra, but the V+HD box is chucked in for free.

This package, on an 18-month contract, currently costs £10 for the first six months, and £20 a month thereafter, with £14.60 a month line rental on top if you sign-up online. Installation, worth £40, is free.

Building your own bundle

Don’t want to stick with your BT bundle but none of the alternatives are taking your fancy? You can always put together your own package through individual providers. While this will mean more work in terms of bills, it may mean you can source the services that best suit your needs at the best price.

You might also want to consider ditching your pay-TV service and choosing Freeview instead. Most of the country is now able to access Freeview, it offers high-definition channels and boxes start from less than £20. You could then simply add broadband and calls from a provider of your choice.

It may also mean a fair bit of research, but that is where Homephonechoices.co.uk, along with its sister sites broadbandchoices.co.uk and digitalchoices.co.uk come in - just enter your postcode on the homepage of each site to compare the individual broadband, home phone and digital TV services, or bundles, available in your area.

Ask us a question

If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at ourexpert@homephonechoices.co.uk