How to get broadband with no upfront cost

A whopping 96% of UK households have access to the internet, according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics. But is it necessary to pay a fee to get set up online?

Although it will usually entail paying a monthly subscription, plenty of internet providers offer free installation broadband packages. Here’s what you should know.

Best Broadband With No Upfront Cost

Shell Energy Superfast Fibre Broadband - 5/5 stars

Average monthly cost: £20.99

Average speed: 35Mbps

Contract length: 18 months

Pros

• Competitively-priced
• Reward scheme

Cons

• 31 complaints per 100,000 customers
• Deal lasts only 18 months

Why We Picked It

Shell Energy offers average speeds of 35Mbps for £20.99 per month, totalling £377.82 over the length of the 18-month contract.

Broadband customers can sign up to the Shell Go+ rewards scheme for perks such as a 3% discount on fuel at Shell service stations.

As typical of broadband firms, Shell provides a WiFi router, which must be returned in working order if you cancel your contract. It does not offer a broadband management app. To avoid being charged an exit fee, you must give the firm 30-days notice if you wish to switch to another provider at the end of your contract . If you choose to keep the service beyond your contract term, you will have to pay £32.88 per month.

TalkTalk Fibre 35 - 5/5 stars

Average monthly cost: £25

Average speed: 38Mbps

Contract length: 18 months

Pros

• £50 reward card
• Free callls to TalkTalk landlines

Cons

• Deal lasts only 18 months
• No broadband app

Why We Picked It

TalkTalk offers broadband with an average speed of 38Mbps for £25-a-month. In total, you’ll pay £450 over the length of the 18-month contract. Monthly costs will rise to £39.50 per month, if you decide not to switch to another deal at the end of your contract. Remember to give 30 days’ notice to avoid having to pay an exit fee, if you switch providers.

As a landline customer, you will be able to make free calls of up to 180 minutes each to others with a TalkTalk landline.

The provider gifts a £50 Giftcloud reward card to spend with retailers such as Amazon, Mastercard, Tesco, M&S or Charity Global, 35 days after your broadband has been activated.

Sky Superfast Fibre 80 - 5/5 stars

Average monthly cost: £27.00

Average speed: 59Mbps

Contract length: 18 months

Pros

• Broadband app
• Only 3 complaints per 100,000 customers

Cons

• Deal lasts only 18 months
• Relatively pricey

Why We Picked It

This deal from Sky offers broadband with an average speed of 59Mbps for £27-a-month, totalling £486 for the length of the 18-month contract. Once the deal ends, the service will cost £35.50 per month.

However, if you give Sky 14 days’ notice, you can switch to another provider for a better deal without incurring an exit fee.

In addition to the WiFi hub provided, Sky allows you to monitor your broadband speed, and which devices are connected to your broadband service, through its app and website. It also offers ‘Pay as you talk’, a pay-as-you-go landline service as standard with its broadband.

BT Fibre Essential - 4.5/5 stars

Average monthly cost: £25.37

Average speed: 36Mbps

Contract length: 24 months

Pros

• Broadband speed guarantee
• Deal last 24 months

Cons

• Limited app broadband features
• Relatively pricey

Why We Picked It

In addition to paying £0 in upfront costs for this broadband with an average speed of 36Mbps, you get broadband for free for the first three months on this deal. At £28.99 per month for the remainder of the 24-month contract, you’ll have £608.79 to pay in total.

BT offers an app to manage the various services it provides. However, its app features for broadband services are limited to viewing your usage, testing your broadband speed and restarting your WiFi hub.

BT’s broadband service comes with a Stay Fast Guarantee. This means it’ll pay you £20 if your broadband speed is lower than quoted and it can’t get it back to where it should be within 30 days. You will also be able to exit your contract without having to pay a penalty charge. To terminate the contract before your deal ends, you must give 30 days notice.

Plusnet Unlimited Fibre Broadband & Line Rental - 4.5/5 stars

Average monthly cost: £23.99

Average speed: 36Mbps

Contract length: 18 months

Pros

• Competitively-priced
• Broadband speed guarantee

Cons

• Deal only lasts 18 months
• No broadband app

Why We Picked It

An average speed of 36Mbps is available on this broadband deal for £23.99 per month for 18 months. All in all, you will pay £431.82 over the course of this contract. The monthly cost increases to £35.98 per month once the deal ends.

If your broadband speed is lower than what Plusnet has estimates for your household, and the provider is unable to improve the speed within 30 days, it will drop early termination fees if you decide to cancel your service. However, it will not refund any costs you’ve paid for the service.

Virgin Media – M100 Fibre Broadband Only - 4.5/5 stars

Average monthly cost: £26

Average speed: 108Mbps

Contract length: 18 months

Pros

• Relatively high speed of 108Mbps
• Broadband app

Cons

• Deal only lasts 18 months
• No perks

Why We Picked It

Virgin Media is currently offering broadband with a relatively considerable average speed of 108Mbps for £26-a-month on an 18-month contract. In total you will pay £468 on this deal.

After 18 months, continuing with this service will cost £44-a-month. You will need to notify Virgin Media at least 30 days in advance of your contract ending to avoid incurring a charge, if you decide to switch providers for a better deal.

This service comes with a WiFi Hub that you can manage should you download the Virgin Media Connect app. It allows you to run home scans to identify any technical issues.

As a landline customer, you will benefit from unlimited free calls to other UK landlines and Virgin mobiles during the weekend. You’ll also get 1,000 free minutes to 0870 numbers on weekends, or 150 calls a day every 30 days to 0870 numbers.

Vodafone Superfast 1 - 4.5/5 stars

Average monthly cost: £20

Average speed: 38Mbps

Contract length: 24 months

Pros

• Competitively-priced
• Deal lasts 24 months

Cons

• No perks

Why We Picked It

This Vodafone Superfast 1 deal offers speeds of up to 38Mbps for £20-a-month. Over the duration of the 24-month long contract, you’ll pay a total of £480.

Along with its WiFi hub, Vodafone offers a broadband app that allows you to prioritise signal to a particular device over others, which is useful if for instance, you’re carrying out a data-heavy task such as gaming.

You must give at least 30 days’ notice at the end of your contract to move to another provider.

What are broadband set-up fees and what do they cover? 

Broadband set-up fees typically cover the cost of your router along with other associated costs. These vary by provider but could include the postage of your router, or an engineer coming round to install it.

If you are buying TV alongside your broadband as part of a bundle, there may also be a fee for delivery of a TV box, too.  

If you choose a broadband package without set-up fees, you won’t have to pay for the installation as it will be factored into your monthly cost as set out in your contract.

How much do broadband set-up fees cost?

Fees will vary depending on the provider and package but many charge as little as £10. Costs can shoot up if you need a phone line installed or reactivated however (more on this below).

What kind of broadband can I get with no set-up fees?

If you are looking for a broadband package with no upfront costs, standard ADSL or cable broadband is likely to provide the most options. While fee-free fibre-optic broadband deals exist, they are less common.

What about a phone line?

Even when broadband deals are offered as fee-free, if you do not already have an active phone line (or need one reactivated), this will cost. Fees can start from £20 and extend to £100 or more. However, always read the terms and conditions before signing a deal to avoid any surprises.

How do you find a broadband deal with no upfront cost?

Installation fees are just one of the components making up the total cost of broadband. And comparing broadband deals on a comparison website is the easiest way to stack one deal up against another.  

Just enter your postcode to compare all the deals available in your area. You can compare providers by connection speed, set-up costs, download limits, and overall monthly cost.  

You will always find broadband deals without set-up fees, while some providers special offers where the fees are waived temporarily.  

When should you start looking for your next broadband deal?

Broadband offers including no set-up costs and other benefits typically come out every few months, and most notable during peak sale time such as January and July.

Depending on when your current broadband plan ends (you will probably be charged an exit fee to leave early), it could make sense to take advantage of these seasonal offers.  

However, remember it can take two or more weeks to switch broadband providers, so advanced planning will pay off.