The latest survey from AOL has revealed that 59% of UK consumers switched suppliers for a service, such as mobile phone, utilities and broadband in the last 12 months. Concerns over expensive and lengthy contracts have seen a big shift in people’s attitudes, with 47% of respondents spending more time seeking cheaper and shorter contracts.

Nearly half (47%) of consumers are saying that, since the credit crunch, their contracts make them feel pinned down. 79% of respondents said that they would choose a no-contract service over an identical one based on a contract:


People in the North East are most likely to switch service providers with 74% saying they had switched suppliers for a service, such as mobile phone, utilities and broadband in the last 12 months. The most popular regions for service switching are broken down below, according to how many respondents had switched suppliers in the last 12 months:

North East 74%
Yorks and Humb 68%
South East 64%
West Midlands 63%
Wales 63%
South West 61%
East 59%
London 58%
North West 52%
Scotland 48%
East Midlands 48%

It appears that the credit crunch is having a big impact on people’s attitudes to service contracts across the country. When asked about whether the respondents were less likely to sign up to fixed term contracts with suppliers as a result of the credit crunch, it was the Welsh who came out on top. 57% of the Welsh respondents said that since the credit crunch, they were less likely to sign up to contracts. Again the North East was in the top three regions in the country.

Wales 57%
Yorks and Humb 51%
North East 48%
Eastern 48%
West Midlands 45%
South West 44%
North West 41%
London 41%
Scotland 39%
South East 38%
East Midlands 38%

Curiously 67% of reader respondents to our own front page survey said that the current economic turmoil had caused them to stay put rather than switch broadband supplier. Part of this may be because many are already locked into longer term contracts and the cost of escaping from those could out way any savings.