Broadband News

Brits go online to save money

Friday, 20 August 2010

By Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk

Increasing numbers of people are turning to the internet in a bid to save cash, according to telecoms regulator Ofcom.

More than half of consumers say that they are now more likely to shop online to save money compared to a year ago, the Communications Market Report revealed yesterday.

Almost 50% said that they were also more likely to use online voucher codes in order to get an even better deal.

“Buying goods and services over the internet can offer significant advantages to consumers. These can include discounts, more extensive choice and the convenience of purchasing goods from home,” said Ofcom.

Research commissioned by the regulator to examine the effect of the economic downturn found that “significant numbers of people are now more likely to take advantage of some of the money-saving opportunities online than they were 12 months ago”.

More than 60% of people said that they were now more likely to use a price comparison site, like Broadbandchoices.co.uk to make sure that they were getting the best possible value for money.

Michael Phillips, Broadbandchoices.co.uk product director, said: “The internet can save you an impressive amount of money, on everything from your weekly shopping to your gas and electricity bills.

“You can save around £135 simply by switching broadband provider - and our research shows that if you take out a bundled package for broadband, home phone and digital TV services, you could save up to £210 per year - plus the added benefit of having just one bill to pay,” he added.