The Consumer Council has offered advice as telecoms costs continue to rise for NI households
As costs connected to broadband and phones continue to rise for households in Northern Ireland, people may have options available to secure a cheaper tariff.
The Consumer Council has offered advice to some households saying they may be eligible for social tariffs that could lower the costs they pay every month.
This follows the release of its Northern Ireland Household Expenditure Tracker, which monitors changes to income and expenditure, has shown that despite a slight increase in available spending money for the lowest-earning households in NI, they are still left with less than £53 a week on average after buying essentials and paying bills.
It found that telecom costs, or Broadband and phone services, continued to grow as an expenditure for households and now makes up 10% of weekly spending for low-earning households. The Consumer Council said this is the highest level since it began monitoring this.
It has now offered some advice to families regarding Social Tariffs that may be available to them and could help to bring their costs down.
Philippa McKeown-Brown, Acting Director of Strategy & Emerging Markets at the Consumer Council, said: “Being connected online is essential for accessing work, education, services and support. However, research conducted by the Consumer Council shows that many consumers in Northern Ireland are unaware that social tariffs are available through most well-known providers. These lower cost broadband and mobile packages offer the same as normal packages but typically cost between £10-£24 per month.
Philippa continued: “In an increasingly digital world, it’s important that people are not excluded. If you or someone in your household receive certain benefits, you may be eligible for these discounted packages through your current provider, or you can shop around.
“For more information, please visit our website: Social tariffs: can you save money on your internet? | Consumer Council The Consumer Council has a range of practical support and information to help reduce household bills at www.consumercouncil.org.uk.”
It also offered some advice on social tariff eligibility, stating: ‘
What are social tariffs?
These ‘social tariffs’ are cheaper broadband packages typically costing between £10 – £24 a month on average. Some providers label them as essential or basic broadband.
They are delivered in the same way as normal packages, just at a lower price.
Eligibility
If you or someone in your household claims Universal Credit, you could switch to any of the tariffs available.
All major providers also include people on Pension Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income Support.
Some providers might include additional benefits, like Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance.
The person receiving the benefit needs to be the main person on the contract.
Benefits of social tariffs
In addition to being cheaper, social tariffs:
- have little to no setup fees – your provider should tell you before you sign up
- could cost nothing to switch if your provider offers a social tariff – switch any time, free of charge
- the price won’t go up mid-contract – you won’t pay any more than what you agreed at the start of the contract
- it costs nothing to leave – you won’t pay a fee to leave the tariff before the end of your contract
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