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The internet can save you £70 a month
The internet can save you £70 a month
Garnet Roach garnet@consumerchoices.co.uk
Families can save £70 a month by shopping for household goods and services online, according to the Post Office (19-09-08).
96 per cent of those who are online consider the internet to be a “lifestyle necessity they could not live without”, said the Post Office (www.PostOffice.co.uk), with the potential monthly savings amounting to £840 a year.
| "Those with most to gain from the internet are three times more likely to be the ones missing out on all its benefits" |
However, a third of UK households still do not have internet access and are missing out on potential savings of almost £4.5 billion in what the Post Office called a “worrying effect of a deepening digital exclusion”.
Martin Moran, Post Office head of telecoms, said: “The nine million UK households that still don’t have an internet connection are missing out on huge savings. Many have the false impression that broadband is a luxury item but we are seeing how increasingly it is actually a money-saving utility - critical in times of economic uncertainty.
“Many of the barriers to getting the digitally excluded online are exaggerated perceptions of costs or fear of online fraud. At the Post Office we are continuing to play a role in making it easier for these people to get online. 84 per cent of our customers are new to broadband and half of these are completely new to the internet,” he added.
The Post Office is the only ISP to offer a pre-pay cash option on its broadband packages to customers who don’t want to pay by direct debit - and there is clearly a high demand for this, with 45 per cent of customers paying in cash.
Helen Milner, managing director of UK online centres, a network of centres helping people new to the net get to grips with ICT, said: “What’s really alarming here is that those with most to gain from the internet are three times more likely to be the ones missing out on all its benefits. It’s not just about saving money - being online can also save people time and hassle, open up new doors and new worlds. The internet should be for everyone, and it’s vital we make sure everyone has equal access to it, plus the skills and confidence to use it effectively.”
With the UK in the grips of an ongoing credit crunch, increasing numbers of savvy broadband users are also switching their provider to save even more cash.
“ISPs announce new deals all the time and any household that hasn’t looked at what else is on offer for a year or more may find that they can make significant savings - of up to £150 - on their annual cost of broadband if they switch to another provider,” said Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director.
Related article - Cheap broadband.
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