“Why is my internet bill so high?” This is a question I ask myself every few months and hear over and over again. It’s incredible to realize how much even the cheapest Internet plan costs when you separate it from a cable package.
I’ll show you how you can save $120 on your Internet bill in about 15 minutes and other ways to lower your Internet bill. Most of these will work without the hassle of switching to another company, and a way to lower your Internet bill comes without even having to talk to someone there.
I need a fast Internet connection to work from home, play games online, stream movies and music, and manage my smart home appliances. Even my garage door, Ring projector, and video doorbell need an Internet connection.
Why Are Internet Bills Increasing?
My internet bill is $69.99 a month without cable and phone, which is pretty common. The cost of being online is rising by as much as 12% in 2017, and more people may feel the pressure to raise their Internet prices even more as they look at cable cut cable companies.
One of the biggest reasons bills are soaring is that people are cutting the cord, which means less money for Spectrum, Cox, Comcast, Verizon and other providers that often make money with TV services and home phone services. According to this Morgan Stanley If you have cable for your internet, you’ll pay an average of $17 less per month for your internet, which is over $200 a year. Of course then you’re paying for the cable and maybe a home phone.
Don’t expect your internet company to lower your bill, but you can take some steps to lower your internet bill on your own.
How to Lower Your Internet Bill by $120 a Year
Buy your own modem to lower your internet bill.
Most Internet providers charge between $8 and $10 a month to rent a modem, and they may charge you even more to rent a router for WiFi. Almost all cable Internet providers allow you to purchase your own modem instead of renting one to use on their networks.
My friend and colleague bought their Verizon FIOS Gateway for $171 (now $149.99), which saves him $10 a month. It will still save almost $100 over the next two years.
I bought my own cable modem from Best Buy for about $70 and avoided paying Time Warner Cable, now Spectrum, which was $9 a month for rentals. This has helped me save a lot over the past few years.
Check with your cable company or ISP before you finish and buy a modem. Spectrum now offers a free modem and you need their equipment for the fastest speeds. Getting a free modem can be as simple as asking them for one. If you’re still using your old modem, you may be paying for it, so check it out and save before you buy anything from Spectrum.
One thing to be aware of is that if you have any problems with your network or speed, your ISP might want to blame your modem rather than take responsibility. This happens with almost every call I make to Spectrum, so if you have a lot of problems it might be worth fixing them before you get your own modem.
How Can You Lower Your Internet Bill Through Packaging?
You pay more for your internet because you don’t have a package. This is not a guess, it’s a fact. I pay $69.99 for Internet only and can add cable and home phone for $99.99 a month. Theoretically, I could quit DirecTV and switch everything back to Spectrum and save $1,200 a year or more. In practice, this also means dealing with a lot more problems, bad cable boxes, and paying too much for a home phone.
If the providers are right, it might make sense to pack your bills for you. many cable companies struggle to add subscribers, and all three services will offer great opportunities to keep you coming back to them. Take a few moments to explore the offers and remember that you may qualify for new member discounts.
It’s also worth checking if you can save money on satellite service depending on your cell phone company. AT&T is offering $42.99 per month or $25 off of $500 per year with the Unlimited plan and free HBO.
Call and ask for a better deal. Remember, you don’t have to take it when they offer it, you can always call it back.
Demandly Lower Your Internet Bill
Call your internet provider and ask for a lower bill.
One of the easiest ways to lower your internet bill is to ask. This will depend on your ISP, but sometimes calling and asking for a better deal can get you a promotion or limited time discount. Be careful if you make a new contract by accepting a better deal.
You can switch to a different speed or switch to a new plan. I switched from the Time Warner Cable plan for $89.99 per month to the Spectrum plan for $69.99 per month by calling-only and saved $20 per month. That’s a savings of $240 a year for a 10-minute phone call!
Let Trim Help You Lower Your Internet Bill
Another option is to use if you don’t want to make the calls yourself. crop Negotiate for a lower rate. You upload a copy of your invoice to the service and it analyzes your invoice to understand what savings you are entitled to. A representative then calls the company to lower your Internet bill.
I used this service to lower my DirecTV bill and it worked very well. The trick is that they charge you 25% of the savings from the first year. So if they save you $200 during the first year, Trim will charge your credit card $50 as soon as the new plan goes into effect.
Look for a Better Internet Plan
Ideally, you can switch to a cheaper Internet plan or look for a competitor to upgrade. In reality this is not always possible in many places. Whether your building is locked to one provider or you’re stuck with only being able to choose one provider for true high-speed Internet, it’s not for everyone.
That said, it’s a good idea to look for an Internet plan that offers the speeds you need and the data you actually use. The latest trend in 2018 is to limit how much data you use and then charge more, as cell phone companies used to do. If you end up overpaying, you should look and see if there is a better solution out there.
Use one of these services to see what providers are available in your area. From there, browse their website to find the best plans and search for promotions for new customers.
Note that some of these services require a contract and you may not get the speeds shown if they don’t match at street level. A street above my neighbors can get super fast AT&T Internet service, but my block can only get super slow offers from AT&T despite having fiber optic in my yard.
