Here Are Five Tips for Lowering Your Internet Bill
As cable TV and satellite companies keep losing customers to cord-cutting, it seems many cable companies are trying to make up for it by raising our Internet bill. While each year the cost keeps climbing higher, here are some things you can do to save money by getting the best deal you can.
When your cable, satellite or cellular broadband provider keeps raising the Internet bill, here are a few things to try. There is really not much to lose, except for a little of your time.
1. Complain To "Customer Retention"
If your Internet bill has increased or you find out your friends are paying less, you have every reason to complain. This typically happens with Cellular providers more often than cable or satellite.
Many cellular customers typically sign-up for a plan when they buy a new phone. Then several years go by and that special discounted promotion that seemed so good at the time can now be had for much less. And often for the same price or less, current plans now include even more data.
Don't waste your time talking with anyone but a Retention Specialist. And then complain to that person only and let them know you're not happy with the price. When they look up the user account, and if you've been with them for many years they will not want to lose a good customer. Especially one that always pays their bills on time.
Then it's time to exert maximum pressure. So be polite but it does help to whine a little bit. And if another company is offering a better plan, be sure to tell the rep you are thinking about switching providers because you simply can't afford their higher prices any longer. More often than not, you will be offered a very comparable plan for the same price and maybe even for less. This can often end up saving $10 to $20/month on your bill. And this could be enough for a monthly subscription to Netflix, Prime Video or Hulu.
2. Dump the Cable Provider's Rented Equipment
If you are paying to rent a Cable Modem or Wifi Router from a broadband provider, you are paying way too much. Often these devices are kept for and paid for month after month for many years. And over time these fees cost far more than it costs to buy a modem or WiFi Router outright. Good cable modems to consider are built by Motorola and Arris.
For WiFi Routers, look for deals on a Netgear Nighthawk AC 5GHz Routers or TP-Link AC1200 Smart WiFi Router - 5GHz Gigabit Dual Band MU-MIMO WiFi Router
3. Look for A Bundled Deal
Many times a cable TV company will offer better promotional pricing for Cable TV bundled with Broadband Internet and IP Phone, instead of just Internet alone. Even if you never watch cable TV or use their phone, it can still save money in the long run. And these discounted plans generally last for a year or so before the price shoots way up. Be ready to switch providers after this happens or try and get another deal.
4. Downgrade Your Broadband Plan
Perform an audit of how much data is being used for a cell plan. Sometimes paying for 5GB per month and only routinely using 2GB will let you switch to a lower cost data plan.
The same holds true for Cable Internet, if paying for 100 Mbps or 60 Mbps plan and you don't stream 4K content or have other family members using the Internet for gaming and streaming at the same time. A 30 Mbps plan would more than cover the bandwidth needed for watching 1080p content on Netflix or other live streaming channels like PS Vue, Philo or Sling TV.
5. Sign-Up As A New Customer
The nuclear option is to just switch Internet providers if a current provider is unwilling to offer any deals. And by subscribing as a new customer, it will often give you a much better promotional deal than had you stayed on. This helpful tip came straight from a Cable TV Tech. "If you have another adult living at your home, cancel your account and have them sign up in their name as a new customer. And even if the account is at the same address, this allows the cable company to offer a much better new customer deal." Sometimes, this is the only option if nothing else works to help lower an Internet bill.
For those fortunate enough, to have more than one broadband provider available in their area and they are comparable in speed, switching providers is sometimes the best and only option to help bring down the price. And even though cable Internet companies hate churn. As consumers, sometimes we have no other choice but to look for the best deal we can even if it means going elsewhere as a new customer.
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