Back to top
Back to all articlesBack to all articles

Brits Reluctance to Switch ISP or Phone Provider Shown by New Survey

phones

Figures from a recent study commissioned by TalkTalk show that 69% of people could be “losing out” on better deals due to not switching to a different mobile network.

Of these people who haven’t switched provider,25% admitted they had lost money due to reluctance to do so but 51% said the stress of switching was more trouble than it was worth.

The survey’s aim was to find out the top 20 things people don’t like to change, and found that swapping phone numbers topped the list as the biggest peeve. The worry is that the general disdain for changing numbers is keeping people from changing to a cheaper mobile contract. In fact, keeping a mobile number is straightforward these days even if you are switching supplier. Generally all you need is a PAC code to move your number from one mobile provider to another. This can be acquired by simply contacting your old provider.

Having to change TV and broadband services came in at fifth on the list of things that people didn’t like to change. TalkTalk noted that the biggest reason why people decide to switch ISP was due to price hikes with 65% citing that as their main reason. Price increases from SKY and BT were mentioned explicitly and although TalkTalk has also raised their prices, they have promised to “no mid-contract price rises” on all broadband tariffs.

Top 20 Things Brits Hate to Change:

  1. Phone number
  2. Side of the bed
  3. Passwords
  4. Where I live
  5. TV or Broadband provider
  6. My’ chair or spot on the sofa at home
  7. Mobile phone brand (iPhone to Android and vice versa)
  8. My daily routine
  9. The way I have my tea
  10. Haircut
  11. Favourite team
  12. Morning routine
  13. Where I do the food shop
  14. The Shampoo and soap I use
  15. Deodorant
  16. Seat at the dinner table
  17. The food I eat at my favourite restaurants
  18. My job
  19. Brand of toilet paper
  20. Route to work

The MD of TalkTalk Consumer, Aleks Habdank, released a statement saying, “

Price rises, such as those experienced by BT and Sky Broadband customers recently, mean we are paying far more than we need to. The majority of consumers are also unaware that they can switch provider penalty free if their price increases mid-way through a contract, so the power is in customers’ hands to make a change.”

It’s always important to remember that levels of service and reliability of connection are also massively important factors that consumers consider. Many people won’t just be looking at the price when switching and doing so just to save some cash can be a false economy. If you are swapping because of service issues and the problems are due to the Openreach network, then simply swapping your broadband provider is unlikely to solve the underlying issue.

There’s no reason why switching ISP should be any problem however. If you want to see what options are available in your area, then check out our free comparison tool.

Michael Quinn
Michael Quinn

Michael is a dedicated author helping usave to write guides, blogs and news for the last four years. When not writing articles, you can usually find him at wine tasting events or having a political debate on the night tube.

Read all articlesRead all articles

Read on our blog

With the government poised to implement tough new measures to...

TalkTalk Confirms Huge Bills Hikes from Friday
Broadband
30. 03. 2022 | Lauren Smith

Budget broadband provider TalkTalk has been notifying customers via email...

A year-long investigation by charity Citizens Advice has revealed a...

All English Schools Will Have Gigabit Broadband by 2025
Broadband
23. 03. 2022 | Lauren Smith

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi has announced a new commitment to...