BT existing customer deals: should you renew or upgrade?
BT customers at the end of their contract are free to cancel and switch to a new deal. This is often the best way of making sure you’re never paying over the odds for your broadband. By switching to a new provider, you can take advantage of great broadband reward offers, get a faster package and save some money along the way.
These are just some of the best broadband deals currently available that you could get if you switch to a new provider:
But what if you’re happy to stick with BT? If you’ve had a good experience during your contract, staying put and renewing your deal is also an option. Just be aware, the packages offered to existing BT Broadband customers will unlikely be as enticing as those offered to new customers. You might also lose out on getting a new and improved BT Smart Hub for better Wi-Fi functionality.
Whether you decide to switch or stay, it's important to get in touch with BT broadband at the end of the contract term.
If you let it continue without even renewing, you’ll almost certainly end up paying more eventually. Out of contract, it’s standard for the monthly cost is likely to increase to a much higher rate than you’d get with an existing customer deal.
BT existing customer deals
To find out what deals you could get as an existing BT customer, use your BT ID and log in at BT.com to see personalised offers.
Here are some of the deals currently available from BT if you are a new customer:
As an existing customer, you may be offered a similar monthly price, but without the reward cards and other free gifts commonly bundled with a new BT deal.
BT upgrade deals
Would you prefer to stay with BT? You may be able to get an upgrade on your existing BT deal for faster broadband speeds and an upgraded Wi-Fi router. Although switching broadband is easy, staying with the same provider and upgrading can mean avoiding setup fees, and there will often be little interruption to your broadband service.
See also: ‘BT Broadband router round-up’.
Upgrading to BT fibre
If you currently have ADSL from BT (the broadband package, with an average speed of 10Mb) you could definitely get a significant improvement in speed by upgrading to BT Fibre, or BT full fibre, if it’s available at your address.
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What does ADSL mean?
ADSL stands for ‘Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line’. It’s broadband technology that allows the transfer data across regular telephone lines. You can make calls at the same time as being connected to the internet.
An ADSL line will, at minimum, allow for a broadband connection of up to 8Mb. These days, that’s pretty slow and won’t allow you to do much other than emailing or basic web searches.
ADSL2+ is now available at nearly all exchanges across the UK with slightly faster data transfer rates of around 10-11Mb.
BT Fibre Essential can provide an average download speed of 36Mb, 50Mb (BT Fibre 1) or 74Mb (BT Fibre 2). This uses the same BT Openreach landline as ADSL, so there’s no extra installation work required for a new broadband connection or a different phone line. Plus, it’s widely available across the UK.
To find out if you can upgrade, use our free deals checker to see what kind of broadband is available to your home:
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What is Openreach?
Openreach is the company that maintains the former British Telecom Network used for the majority of broadband and phone services. If a repair or installation is required, it’s Openreach who will send an engineer, not your provider.
More than 650 service providers using the Openreach network. That’s the majority of the UK’s broadband providers. This includes Sky, TalkTalk and BT. The exception to this is Virgin Media - it uses its own, separate cable network.
Upgrading to BT ultrafast full fibre broadband
BT also offers a speedy ultrafast fibre broadband with average download speeds of 150Mb+. If you already have BT Fibre 2, this will be the only way to upgrade your speed and stick with the same provider.
Be aware, this service has extremely limited availability compared to BT Fibre Essential, Fibre 1, or Fibre 2. Use our deals checker to see if you can get it!
Adding a BT TV Package as an existing customer
As well as upgrading the speed, existing customers could add on a new broadband and TV deals bundle with BT TV.
BT TV packages start from £12 per month. Thanks to a partnership with NOW TV, options include premium channels such as Sky Atlantic and Sky One, the full Sky Cinema line-up, and sports bundles with the option of a cheaper TNT Sports package (previously known as ‘BT Sport’).
The ‘Big Sport’ package also offers all 11 Sky Sports channels and access to 400+ live football games, including Champions League and the biggest Premier League games. Netflix is included in all Entertainment bundles, or as an add-on for sports packages.
With its Flexible TV option, you can easily swap between TV packages each month.
All BT Broadband deals with TV packages include a free BT TV box with Freeview, catch-up TV and recording.
To add BT TV to your existing broadband service, you can sign up online.
Frequently Asked Questions about BT deals for existing customers
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What happens to my BT contract when I renew or upgrade?
When renewing or upgrading your broadband contract, you’ll have to sign up for a new minimum contract term.
If you’re only renewing your existing service contract, there’s no change or interruption to your broadband service. If you’re upgrading your BT Broadband package, there may be a small period of downtime while the upgrade is applied to your line. If you’re moving to a full fibre package, an engineer may visit to help with your activation.
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Can I get BT in my area?
Just about everyone can get BT Broadband (except for residents of Hull, where KCOM is the main network operator). But, the type of BT broadband you can get will vary depending on where you live and whether your home has access to full fibre broadband yet.
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Can I upgrade my BT broadband?
If you currently have a BT ADSL service or a fibre optic package up to 50Mb, then it’s likely you can upgrade to a faster connection.
However, if you currently have BT Fibre 2 (74Mb average speed), there’s a good chance that this is the quickest BT connection you’ll be able to get at your home. Although the rollout of full fibre is progressing across the UK, BT Ultrafast coverage is limited. This would be the case for all other internet service providers who use the Openreach network, including Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Plusnet.
If you don’t have full fibre access yet, but you want to upgrade to an ultrafast package, your only choice may be Virgin Media. This runs its own network.
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How do I contact BT?
Call BT customer service on 0800 800 150. For more contact details, see our guide to BT customer service and technical support.
Expert Summary
If you’re coming to the end of your contract, or you’ve already gone past the minimum term of your BT Broadband deal, you have some decisions to make.
When you’re no longer under contract, you’re free to leave BT and switch to another provider. Switching broadband suppliers is easy and, most of the time, it’s just the case of finding a new provider and deal and signing up. You shouldn’t even need to get in touch with BT.
But what if you’re content to stay as a BT customer? This is fine also, but you should never let your contract run out without getting in touch with customer services. You may be able to get a good offer on an upgrade, or this is the ideal time to reassess what you want from your broadband package.
Since you last signed up to BT, there may be new and exciting full fibre deals available to you. Sometimes, you might be able to get a much better speed and an upgraded Wi-Fi router without having to spend a lot more.
The key is to educate yourself and be aware of the deals on offer from both BT and other alternative providers. This is your best way to make sure you’re never overpaying for an old tariff.