Survey Claims 41 Percent of UK People Believe They Pay Too Much for Broadband

A new Attest survey that was conducted on behalf of full fibre broadband ISP Hyperoptic, which questioned 1,000 “nationally representative” UK adults during February 2026, has claimed that 41% of respondents believe they are paying more for their home internet connection than they should and 47% have never checked whether a better deal is available.

The survey, which should admittedly be viewed though Hyperoptic’s scope of vested interest and the potential unreliability of such a small sample size, goes on to claim that 51% of respondents pay £30 or more per month for broadband and only 19% pay £40 or more. But it also notes how 7% say they are currently out of contract with their existing provider.

The ISP estimates that households remaining out of contract could be paying £15-£17 more per month than necessary – equivalent to up to £190 per year – based, they say, on the typical differences between advertised in-contract and standard out-of-contract pricing across major providers (supportive figures were not provided for this).

Lutfu Kitapci, CCO and MD of ISP at Hyperoptic, said:

“The introduction of One Touch Switch has made it significantly easier for customers to move provider, and we’re seeing meaningful engagement across the market. However, our research shows that a significant proportion of households still feel they are overpaying or are not reviewing their options. As switching friction reduces, transparency, reliability and fair pricing become even more important competitive differentiators.”

On the issue of “overpaying,” it’s important to remember that price alone isn’t the only deciding factor and consumers also tend to consider other aspects, such as service and support quality or value-added extras (some features may not be found on rivals). Suffice to say, if your current provider has continued to deliver a good service and the features you want, then you’re less likely to consider switching.

In addition, some smaller providers don’t play the same discount games as the big boys and often adopt the same pricing post-contract as they do for new users, which can make them seem more expensive initially. But over the long-term, the differences through consistent pricing will often narrow for loyal subscribers.

The survey sadly fails to establish how many consumers may have alternatively haggled for a lower price, or even been offered a lower price automatically, to stay with their existing ISP (Retentions – Tips for Cutting Your Broadband Bill). But your mileage from haggling will vary and not all providers do it (big providers are usually more receptive).

The end-of-contract notifications system arguably makes existing customers much more likely to try haggling, rather than switch, unless they’re unhappy with their ISP’s performance. Switching between providers has at least recently been made significantly quicker and easier, thanks to systems like One Touch Switching (OTS) on broadband or Text-to-Switch (Auto-Switch) on mobile (actual data shows 1.62 million fixed broadband and phone users switched between Sept 2024 and Sept 2025).

Finally, those on state benefits (Universal Credit etc.) often also have the option of taking a cheaper Social Tariff – see our Quick Guide to UK Social Tariffs, which tend to start as low as £12 per month. Hyperoptic have some of the fastest social tariffs in the market, provided their network is available to your property (it claims to cover 1.9 million premises).