10 Tips For Saving Money With Affordable Internet Offers
Did you get an increased monthly internet bill again? You are not alone.
As a matter of fact, 41% of US households pay an average of $64 on monthly internet bills.
It certainly is a massive expense that takes a toll on your monthly budget. Nonetheless, the internet has become as important as other home utilities, especially with remote working and online learning possibilities.
Here are 10 tips that will surely help you lower your internet bills and even help you achieve significant savings.
1. Shopping Around
Depending on your residing location, there may be a number of internet service providers for you to choose from. If you are not satisfied paying the bills to your current internet provider, it’s high time you look for alternatives in your area. They might offer enticing promotional deals with price lock-ins for a year or two. The deal will most probably be offered at lower rates than your current provider, along with a free gift card or a bonus to sweeten the deal.
It’s always a good idea to peruse the terms and conditions of their offer, as their prices might increase after the promotion period ends. You need to be wary of the one-time service fees or extra charges that counterbalance any savings. Nonetheless, if you do happen to find affordable internet offers, then it’s certainly an option that could lower your internet bill.
2. Negotiating For Better Deals
If you find affordable internet offers from another service provider, don’t switch to a different provider just yet. It might be a better option to get in touch with your current internet provider to negotiate your bill. Make the call to your current internet provider and let them know that you have found a better deal from their competitor and would appreciate it if they would lower your internet bill. If you have a good credit score and are a valuable customer to them, they might offer you a decent discount to retain you as their customer.
For a script, you can just simply let them know that you have received a better offer from their competitor. And if they don’t offer you a lower or the same price, you would rather cancel their subscription.
That’s about it.
If your conversation didn’t yield the desired outcome, you may end the call and try again and speak with a different rep. It could be worth a try to speak with a manager or someone from the customer retention department.
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3. Checking Your Internet Speed
When you read the fine print, there’s an internet speed which you are entitled to get. Different internet tiers offer different speeds. But at times, you won’t get the quoted speed that you are meant to receive.
To check the internet speed, go to a third-party internet speed checker to find out whether you are actually getting the speed you are paying for. If you are not getting the quoted internet speed, then it’s time to call their customer support and negotiate with them for a discount. Some internet providers may offer you a bill credit to compensate for lower internet speeds delivered.
4. Downgrading Your Plan
There are times when you are paying for the internet speed which you don’t need. If you are someone who heavily relies on the internet, such as playing online games, streaming 4K video content or downloading large files, then paying for higher internet speed is justifiable. On the other hand, if you mainly use the internet for browsing the web, emailing, or occasionally streaming music, then downgrading your plan is probably the best course of action.
Similarly, if you are someone who lives by themselves, it’s prudent to opt for slower internet service. And if you have a large family connecting multiple devices, then a faster internet connection is definitely what you need.
Internet service providers offer different tiers. It’s best to call their customer support to find affordable internet offers that serve your connectivity and entertainment needs without breaking the bank.
5. Going For The Bundle Package
When you call customer support to lower your internet bill or downgrade your internet service, the CSR could also offer you a bundle package. That could include cable TV and a home phone service. Now it will increase the overall cost, but it will lower your internet bill. It’s well-advised to read the fine print and proceed when thoroughly understanding their terms.
If you want a cable TV service, it’s a good idea to find out how much money you are able to save through a bundle package. If you don’t want cable TV or a home phone service, then going for the bundle isn’t the right choice for you.
6. Using Autopay
By opting for an autopay method could offer discounts from $5 to $10 on your monthly bills. However, it’s essential to have sufficient funds in your checking account to avoid paying for overdraft fees before you choose the autopay method.
7. Reviewing Your Bill
Most internet service providers offer price lock-ins and other promotion offers for you to make the switch. However, once the contract ends, they could increase the price dramatically.
That’s why it’s crucial to review your monthly bills, as it will alert you whenever there’s an increase in your monthly bills, whether it happens post-contract or any other unexpected changes.
So, make the call to customer support immediately about your bill. Otherwise, you will be charged for something which you hadn’t signed up for.
8. Buying Your Own Equipment
Internet service providers used to charge you an additional rental fee for their modem or router. They would even charge you if you bring your own equipment.
But that’s the thing of the past now.
As of 2019, Congress passed the Television View Protection Act which doesn’t permit your internet provider to charge you an extra cost for buying your own equipment.
So, now you have to pay an upfront cost just for one-time only. In the long run, it will save you a lot of money.
9. See If You Qualify For Low-Income Subsidies
The federal government has introduced the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to give equal opportunity to every household in the United States. The government has realized that with a reliable internet connection, consumers can participate in online learning and apply for remote jobs.
ACP offers a $30/month subsidy to the eligible households and up to $75 for households on tribal lands.
So, if you are struggling in paying your internet bills, then see whether you are qualified for ACP.
10. Reducing Usage
Some internet service providers impose data caps on your internet usage. When you exceed your data caps, you will have to pay additional charges for that usage, or they could significantly lower your internet speed.
If your internet service provider charges you extra for additional data cap usage, then it’s time to switch to a plan with unlimited data caps. It will increase your cost but it will still be much lower than what you currently pay.
Conclusion
Understanding how to lower your internet bills can save you a lot of money in overall monthly utility expenditures.
It’s well-advised to review your bills thoroughly to identify any additional charges that you are paying either after the promotion offer ends, exceeding data caps charges or any unwanted additional costs.
Once you have the discrepancy, expedite making the phone call to your internet provider and negotiate to get a better deal.
