Beat the broadband hikes and end up with a net gain

Suppliers are set to impose huge price jumps but there are still ways to find value

The spring might bring sunnier weather to the UK but your monthly finances will soon be dampened.

All of the UK’s biggest broadband suppliers – including BT, Sky and Virgin Media – have announced huge price rises, with some bills set to rocket by 8.8 per cent from April.

If those hikes have got your wallet wobbling, there are some ways to try to beat the increases. Here are StarTech’s top tips:

● CHECK YOUR SPEEDS: We all want faster downloads but do you actually need them? Only super busy homes with loads of connected devices will benefit from ultrafast broadband and if you only watch the odd bit of Netflix and send some emails, you could be wasting serious money. A basic 60Mbps package can cost under £25 but switch things up to 500Mbps and you’ll pay over £40.

● CHECK SOCIAL TARIFFS: Millions aren’t taking up the offer of so-called Social Tariffs. These vastly cheaper plans, which start from about £15 per month, offer basic speeds to those claiming certain benefits such as Universal Credit. All major ISPs offer these options so it’s worth checking to see how much you could save.

● RING YOUR PROVIDER: It might sound too easy but sometimes a quick phone call to your current provider can work wonders. Find some rival deals, say you’re thinking of leaving and be polite. Your price could be reduced in a flash.

● FED UP WITH CONTRACT HIKES? THEN SWITCH: Some providers promise to leave their prices unchanged throughout the contract. Shop around and don’t forget there are lots of smaller providers out there offering some great deals.

● DITCH FIBRE AND OPT FOR 4G INSTEAD: Rather than fibre broadband to connect to the internet, it’s also possible to use 4G technology to get online instead.

Right now, Three Mobile even has a deal that’s offering a 4G connection for half the usual price – which means you’ll pay just £11 per month for internet access.