My broadband provider lets me pay for a whole year’s worth of line rental upfront, right now. Should I go for it? Is this a good deal?
Bob T, via email
Probably, yes.
The option to pay a whole year's worth of line rental upfront - often known as 'line rental saver' - is offered by quite a few top broadband providers. It means you pay a lump sum when you sign up, then get significantly lower bills each month.
A tiny handful of providers even let you pay for a whole year of broadband itself upfront.
- 132Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £22.99 per month
- £18.55 Avg. monthly cost
- 264Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 18 month contract
- £0.00 for 3 months
- £25.99 for months 4 - 18
- £21.66 Avg. monthly cost
- 75Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £25.00 per month
- £20.83 Avg. monthly cost
- 150Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £22.00 per month
- £16.17 Avg. monthly cost
- 150Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £27.00 per month
- £22.83 Avg. monthly cost
- 150Mb average* speed
- No TV channels
- £0.00 Setup costs
- 24 month contract
- £30.00 per month
*Average speeds are based on the download speeds of at least 50% of customers at peak time(8pm to 10pm). Speed can be affected by a range of technical and environmental factors. The speed you receive where you live may be lower than that listed above. You can check the estimated speed to your property prior to purchasing.
So to answer your question… is it worth it? Let's take a look at the pros and cons.
Pros:
- It cuts your monthly bills down by quite a lot, or gets rid of them entirely in some cases.
- Paying upfront usually comes with an extra discount - BT gives you one month's line rental free when you pay upfront using a debit or credit card.
- You'll be immune from any price increases on line rental for the year. (Though not from rises on broadband or other services you add, like TV.)
Cons:
- It's a lot to pay all in one go - especially if it includes broadband.
- If you move out or switch providers before the year is up, you may be out of pocket.
- With some providers, your upfront payment is non-refundable. So if you think there's a chance you might want to cancel, we'd suggest you check the situation with your provider first.
Conclusion
Money-wise, yes, paying for a year's worth of services upfront is totally worth it. You'll likely get a discount, and it lets you skip any price increases for another year.
So long as you can afford to pay it right now, and if you're certain you'll be with this provider for the next 12 months, we say go for it. If not, though, it's better to be cautious and stick with normal monthly bills.
