Get the best broadband deal

Now the Chancellor has finally set out his spending cuts, it’s a good idea to prune your home bills to counteract the Government’s dip into your finances.

One of the easiest ways to save money is to cut your internet costs. Booming competition means a host of new broadband deals have just come on the market, so switching providers is likely to save you money.

One of the cheapest deals comes from PlusNet, whose Value deal costs £6.49 per month. There’s an extra £25 activation fee but you can avoid this if you already pay line rental to BT and join PlusNet by phone rather than online.

Although it imposes a 10GB per month download limit during the day, it includes unlimited downloads between midnight and 8am. The deal is only available in some areas, but most of London homes will be covered. You can check whether your property is eligible at plus.net or by phoning 0845 140 0200.

Alternatively, if you’re a heavy-duty daytime internet data user, consider Orange’s Simply broadband contract. It’s £10 a month for Orange mobile customers, or £15 otherwise, with unlimited downloads.

Or, if you can’t be bothered to switch provider, there are still two easy ways to cut costs: switch to paperless bills (it costs less from the majority of broadband firms) and pay by direct debit.