Broadband with no upfront costs

How to compare broadband and pay nothing upfront

One of the most common ways that broadband companies incentivise their offers for new customers is by offering broadband with no setup fees. This usually means that you won’t pay for things like equipment or delivery, and that your new broadband service will be installed or activated free of charge.

This page will tell you everything you need to know about finding broadband with no extra costs, be they installation, activation, or delivery fees; which providers offer it, what types of broadband are included with this kind of deal; and the pros and cons of opting for a broadband package with nothing else to pay.

Broadband with free installation and a voucher is very limited. Most providers will offer a pay nothing today deal but won't throw in extra freebies.

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Which broadband providers offer no set up fees?

Some providers offer broadband with no other costs as standard, while others include broadband with no additional or upfront fees only on certain packages in order to tempt new customers. Here’s our rundown of what you can expect from the most popular UK providers:

Providers who don’t usually charge set up fees

These providers generally always offer some form of broadband with no installation costs.

TalkTalk broadband – TalkTalk often offers broadband with no extra costs – upfront or otherwise – though the brand’s combined broadband and TV bundles do usually mean paying a little more for the TV box. TalkTalk's broadband deals aren’t fixed-price for the 18-month contract, but there’s an option to leave without a penalty within 30 days if you're not completely happy. Instead, the company offers an add-on called “Fixed Price Plus”, which guarantees that the price will not increase beyond the annual inflation rate once the contract expires.

Plusnet broadband – You won’t pay fees for installation or equipment with Plusnet broadband, though a £49.99 charge applies if you need a new phone line. You will need to pay for your first month in advance – so not an extra cost as such, and you will have quite a long period before you need to settle your next monthly bill.

Vodafone broadband – You won’t pay any extra costs with Vodafone fibre broadband (and it does only offer fibre now) even when a new phone line needs to be installed.

Shell Energy broadband – This energy company turned internet provider now provides broadband with no extra costs as standard. Also, unless you purchased a reduced price package, Shell Energy will not increase the price of your broadband at the end of your contract.

Providers who sometimes offer no set-up fees

Broadband with no set-up fees from these providers is offered for a limited time only, not as standard. When you see these deals, sign up quickly to avoid missing out.

BT broadband – BT reduces and even waives set-up and delivery fees from time to time to attract new customers, though it’s just as likely you’ll be tempted by the reward cards it frequently offers with its fibre broadband packages and broadband with TV bundles. A new line installation will add £49.99 to your bill though – if you need one.

EE broadband – EE tends to chop and change the packages it offers without installation or delivery costs, so it's worth keeping an eye out and biding your time if EE is your preferred provider. There’s always a £50 charge if you need a new phone line.

Sky broadband – Sky periodically offers broadband packages with no set-up or delivery charges to tempt new customers. This is rare, so our advice is to jump on them when you spot them! The charge for a new phone line can be as low as £20.

Virgin broadband – Virgin charges a £35 activation fee across the board on all its packages – whether that's just broadband or a full bundle, so it’s always advisable to take advantage of a limited time, no-fee deal. As a rule, it'll be a short-term offer running for just a few days, so if you see one, and you're looking for a Virgin Media package, it’s worth considering.

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What type of broadband comes with free installation?

In the past, broadband with free installation was generally with standard/ADSL packages, running on existing BT copper phone lines. Today, however, you're just as likely to find no-fee fibre broadband packages depending on what each provider is promoting at the time. Unfortunately, fees are still fairly universal when it comes to next-generation 'full fibre' FTTP services.

To help determine what broadband speed is right for your needs, read our guide.

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Pros and cons

While broadband with no installation or delivery costs sounds like a no-brainer, it's not necessarily that simple. Whether it's wise to choose a broadband deal with no upfront costs entirely depends on the monthly costs and any other charges you might incur over the lifetime of the contract.

Here are some pros and cons for broadband with no installation fees.

Money saving – Some internet providers have surprisingly heavy charges for installation and delivery – particularly when bundling in TV services too. Avoiding these is an obvious money-saver, though you’ll need to make sure that monthly charges for your broadband aren’t hiked up to compensate for upfront savings.

Broadband-only benefits – If you’re looking for broadband on its own, without calls or TV options bundled in, then generally speaking you'll probably have the widest choice of no extra-cost options available.

Missing out on bundles – While providers such as TalkTalk or BT may offer broadband and TV bundles with no upfront costs, their modest selection of Freeview channels can’t compete with the likes of Sky and Virgin Media, both of whom charge for installation or activation as standard. If you want decent broadband service with a great selection of TV channels, you may need to bite the bullet and pay extra – or just keep checking our comparison pages and grab a fee-free deal when it comes up.

Missing out on top speeds – The big provider with the highest broadband speeds in the UK is Virgin Media, a brand that, as we've mentioned, rarely offers deals with no activation fee. Other broadband providers also tend to collect fees to install fibre connections delivering similar speeds to Virgin, so if you really need the highest speed broadband, there might be no way around paying that little more.

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Broadband and TV with no upfront cost

Generally, combined broadband and TV packages are more likely to have extra setup, activation or delivery fees than other deals simply because there's more involved – for example satellite dishes and TV boxes. But from time to time they do come up, so use our comparison to see what's on offer at the moment – you might be in luck.

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