The cost of your broadband connection is generally made up of two separate charges - a set-up cost(also referred to as installation cost or connection fee) and then a regular monthly fee.

Most broadband providers will make you commit to a 12-month contract, during which you will pay a fixed, regular monthly broadband fee. This monthly cost varies between about £10 for a basic service and £50 for an all-singing all-dancing service. Some providers such as TalkTalk, Orange and BT have introduced 18-month contracts on some packages.

Generally, expect to pay about £15 a month for a 2MB connection.

Some providers such as Madasafish and PlusNet offer pay-as-you-go broadband where you only pay for the broadband you use. These are only good if you only use the internet rarely or if you go away regularly for long periods of time and so don't use it at all.