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Can I get a short-term TV and broadband bundle?

Our digital TV expert says...

Bundling your TV and broadband, and also home phone, together and getting them from one provider is increasingly popular, with 44% of homes now bundling their telecoms services, according to regulator Ofcom.

“Some consumers could make significant annual savings - in some cases as much as £140 - if they took some or all of their phone, pay-TV and broadband services from the same provider,” says Ofcom.

However, while you can make savings, such packages often come packing lengthy contracts; usually one year but sometimes up to 18 months long, and most providers will either charge you a set fee or require you to pay the remainder of your contractual payments if you want to leave early.

Bundles

Sadly, when it comes to short-term broadband and digital TV packages, the world is very much not your oyster - Sky ( www.sky.co.uk)TV and broadband packages come with 12-month contracts, as do all BT Vision (www.btvision.bt.com) with broadband packages, while Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com) bundles tie you in for 18 months.

Take your bundle with you

Of course, if you are leaving your current address in the short-term to move elsewhere in the UK, then there is the possibility that you could sign-up to a broadband and TV package with a longer contract and then take it with you when you move.

Whether you subscribe to Sky TV, broadband, home phone or all three, the provider will send an engineer to help you move home for free, although occasionally some third-party charges may apply. You must also consider whether you are permitted to install the satellite dish needed to receive Sky TV, for example if you rent, or if your home is a listed building.

No such problems with BT Vision, which doesn’t require a satellite dish - BT should be able to move your TV and broadband to your new home - though you will need at least a 2Mb broadband connection and live in a Freeview area to watch the Freeview channels. You will remain on the same contract and won’t be charged any admin fees.

One of the first things you need to think about if you want to move your Virgin Media service to a new property is whether or not it is in a cabled area.

Virgin Media covers around half the country with its cable network - and you need to live in one of these areas in order to access its TV service and superfast broadband.

If you are still in a cabled area, Virgin Media will send an engineer round to install your TV and broadband at your new house free of charge.

Build your own bundle

If signing up to a long TV and broadband bundle and taking it with you when you leave your current address is not an option, you could build your own bundle. Picking from the options below could get you the package you want with a shorter contract.

TV

• Freesat - Although Freesat, like Sky, requires a satellite dish, so you must double check if you can have one installed, this digital TV service is contract and subscription-free, requiring no payments beyond the initial cost of a set-top box. These start from around £49 and give you access to over 150 TV channels and radio stations
• Freeview - The beauty of Freeview is that it gives you free access to up to 50 digital channels and 24 radio stations via your aerial. It requires no installation beyond hooking up a digital box to your TV, which start from around £20 - the only fee you'll pay. However, you will need to find out if Freeview is available in your area before taking the plunge

Broadband

• Be Broadband - Offers two broadband packages with three-month rolling contract. BE Unlimited comes with speeds of up to 24Mb and up to 1.3Mb uploads for £25 a month or the Pro package costs £30 a month, giving you fast downloads and upload speeds as high as 2.5Mb
• O2 - All O2 broadband packages are available on 30-day rolling contracts - The Basics, The All Rounder and The Works. Each package comes with speeds of up to 20Mb, though download allowances and fair usage policies vary from 20GB a month to a fair usage policy for heavier downloaders
• Plusnet offers two packages without a long contract - Each comes with a speed of up to 20Mb and with free overnight downloads, though Plusnet Value offers a 10GB daytime download allowance and the Extra package gives you 60GB

Bear line rental in mind when choosing your broadband package though - you will need a landline to access these types of copper wire broadband services - and this might have its own contract attached. See if your ISP (internet service provider) can also provide your line rental within your rolling contract.

Ask us a question

If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at ourexpert@digitalchoices.co.uk