Switching Broadband When Moving Home

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Your guide to switching broadband provider when you move home

Moving home is one of the most important things we will do in our lives, and that comes with stress. You’ve moved all your personal belongings, from clothes and furniture to your TV and laptop. But then if you want to use your laptop to browse the web, you’ll need a broadband connection. You should get this sorted out as soon as possible, as you wouldn’t want to wait weeks before having access to the internet. This guide will help you to understand your options, and how to find the best broadband deals for your new home, whether you want to stay on your existing contract or find a new deal altogether.

In this guide:

How deep into your contract are you?

If you’re only part way into a long-term contract (say, 12-18 months) then you’re probably best-off sticking with it and moving your current contract to your new address. You should check the T&C’s of your contract, as they often include large penalties for ducking out early, such as paying up for however many months are remaining.

You should also check whether switching address will start a new minimum contract term. In this case, if there are cheap broadband deals available at your new address then it could make more sense to switch if it will save you more money than paying for the added months at a higher price.

Are there better options for your new address?

Broadband prices can vary by area.

  • Low cost network areas: Some of the cheaper broadband deals are only offered where the provider has already installed their own equipment.
  • High competition areas: where one or more providers have installed equipment, they may put their prices down in order to be competitive.

If you want the fastest internet connection possible, it is worth checking out fibre optic broadband that may not have been available at your previous address.

Your broadband speed may be slower at your new address even if you stick with the same provider, for example if:

  • You are further from the telephone exchange.
  • More people in your new area use the broadband at once, causing high levels of congestion.

This could mean that upgrading to fibre optic broadband becomes a more attractive option.

Does your current provider cover your new address?

Right now, you may be enjoying your providers lowest rates, but if your new house is not included in your current provider’s low-cost network area then the cost of your broadband could become a lot higher. Also, if you move outside of network areas, your current broadband’s features may become poorer. For example, your provider may limit your download speed, or apply a restrictive usage allowance. This could mean that your connection is artificially slowed down.

Even if your provider doesn’t do this, ‘off-network’ services still tend to be oversubscribed, which causes a slow connection at peak times. This is because they are bought at the cheapest wholesale price, making them a popular, affordable option.

If, when you move, you find your broadband to be noticeably slower, you might be able to get out of your contract early. However:

  • The change in service would have to be considered a mid-term contract change under Ofcom regulations, covering contracts starting after January 23rd, 2014.
  • The switch could also depend on whether the contract you agreed to included what you’d receive if you moved out of a network area.

Are you a Virgin Media customer switching into/out of a cable area?

Virgin Media effectively offer two completely different broadband services, with different technical support teams and different contact email addresses:

  • Virgin Media‘s main broadband uses technology that arrives at your home via steel cables, which were originally meant for cable TV, then later upgraded to ultrafast speeds using fibre optic cables.
  • But they also offer ‘National Broadband’ (virgin.net). This is only an option when a home isn’t covered by their main cable services.

Therefore, switching between the two can be as big a change as switching providers. National Broadband is not offered to existing customers but acts as a legacy service for those already on it – it is worth checking if this applies to you already, or if you are moving into an area where it is Virgin’s only offering.

If you are moving from ‘National Broadband’ to cable, this will likely be a big improvement for you, as the broadband speeds tend to be faster, and you may experience less of a slowdown during peak times.

However, Virgin Media is generally not the cheapest option for most areas, because they compete mostly based on having the highest download speeds. If speed is your priority over price, they could be the right provider for you – even their cheapest deals offer up to 50Mbps. But if you’d rather save money, then it’s worth seeing what the prices of other providers are like.

Does your provider operate in your new area?

Some providers only operate where their technology is available, so you may have no choice but to switch broadband. For example, in some parts of the Hull area, none of the national providers operate, because there aren’t many BT telephone exchanges available.

This can be troublesome if you’re mid-contract as you may still have to buy your way out of your deal, even though you can’t receive the broadband.

What problems should I expect when switching providers?

First off, you need ask your current provider to stop your service.

  • You will likely have to pay a cease charge, which could be up to £35. As already mentioned, if you’re within your minimum contract period, you may have to pay for the rest of the contract.
  • If you don’t give notice as required in your contract (this period is normally around a month) you may still be charged for the remaining days, until the end of the notice period.
  • Even if your phone and broadband providers are different, cancelling your phone line may also cancel your broadband service. But if you don’t get a confirmation of this from your broadband provider, it’s best to check with them, in case they do still charge you.
  • You may not be able to sign up for broadband at your new address, until the people moving out have cancelled their phone service.
  • New line connections cost about £50, but make sure you compare broadband providers that have promotions to cover/reduce the cost.

What if I choose to stay with my current provider?

You still need to let them know that you’re moving. They will then sort out the activation of your new line and deactivate your old service. So long as you do this ahead of time, you may be able to have your new line activated the very day you move in.

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