Save on your TV, phone and internet package
Finding the best bundle isn’t so hard. In the end, it all comes down to price, speed and reliability
Comparing broadband, TV and home phone bundles looks very complicated. But it doesn’t have to be. If you strip away the small print, distracting details and creative pricing, it’s quite simple really. And Bonkers.ie has done just that in the attached table to take a cold, hard look at how Eir, Sky, Virgin Media and Vodafone really stack up.
Just like a good movie on Sky Cinema, it cuts to the chase and asks, ‘what’s the really important stuff?’
If you strip it down to the basics of price, speed and reliability – plus any tasty bonuses on offer – it becomes a lot simpler to compare.
Stuff like landline minutes, HD compatibility and extra TV channels might be of interest, but Simon Moynihan of Bonkers.ie says, ‘Let’s be honest, these features aren’t the most important things to be considering when signing up to a 12-month or 18-month contract, are they?’
HE SAYS THE KEY THINGS ARE:
1. What you get 2. What it costs 3. What sign-up bonuses are on offer Bonkers did an exercise to compare the entry-level triple-play bundles (broadband, TV and home phone) from Eir, Sky, Virgin and Vodafone.
To make it even more clear, it compares the average monthly cost over the course of the contract.
SO WHO IS THE WINNER?
It’s pretty much neck and neck on price, with less than €13 difference per year between the four – and even then the dearer Sky package comes with a free telly (although prices are liable to change at any time, so check out the website).
So it depends on your priorities. Virgin Media has the fastest broadband at the moment, but Eir and Sky have great sign-up incentives, and if you’re a Game Of Thrones fanatic, Sky Atlantic might swing it for you. ‘There are some genuinely fantastic Tripleplay offers out there at the moment,’ says Simon.
However, to get them you have to switch. These are all deals for new customers and they last for six to 12 months, then the price goes up.
If you haven’t switched, the chances are that you’re paying through the nose, up to €106 a month – which means the potential savings can stack up to an astonishing €504 per year.