Millions pay '£70 too much' for broadband Switching apathy has long been a problem in the broadband market, despite industry regulator Ofcom introducing guidelines last year to make the switching process easier. In fact, recent figures from Sky show that more than a quarter of consumers wrongly believe that think they will be without broadband for a week or more if they switch provider. "One thing we consistently hear from consumers is that they think switching broadband will be complicated and difficult, but this couldn't be further from the truth nowadays," said Mr Baliszewski. But how can consumers switch broadband providers seamlessly? Compare like for like Before you make the switch, use an Ofcom-approved site that details hidden costs like installation charges, line rental and monthly prices after any special offer discounts expire. It is important to get a realistic picture of what you will have to pay in the first year, so get your sums right before switching. Watch out for exit penalties Read your current contract to be certain that it has expired, allowing you to switch without any early exit fees. The fees are determined by the types of service to which you subscribe and the number of months left on your contract. Penalties are not capped. For instance, if you cancel a bundle contract with eight months left, you could have to pay up to £160, depending on the provider. Also take note of the length of the new contract length you are signing up to - some providers have 18 month terms rather than the standard 12 months. The need for speed Think about how you will use the internet to decide how many megabytes (MBs) you want to download in a second. The bigger the figure, the faster the internet connection. If you use the internet only for light surfing and emailing, you are unlikely to need a package with high download limits. If you regularly download large amounts of data, such as films, you may want to consider a service that offers up to 20MB and a large storage capacity. If, however, you just want simple downloads and basic web and email access, a 2MB service should be enough and will usually cost much less. A service of up to 8MB is useful if you want to send photos or regularly download files. You can find out how fast your broadband connection is by logging on to thinkbroadband.com/speedtest.html. Although, bear in mind that if you spend a lot of time downloading movies and games it is usually worth opting for a package with a 'truly unlimited' download limit to accommodate your activity and avoid excess download penalties. Look for discounts There are other ways to cut your bills, even if you do not want to switch providers. One way to do this is to pay your line rental up front. Line rental is a "hidden cost" of broadband and in many cases is pricier than the package itself. Some providers, like Sky and BT, offer a significant discount of around £50 to customers who pay for their line rental upfront so its worth doing if you can afford it. While other providers offer additional discounts and incentives if you subscribe online rather than over the phone. Price comparison sites such as Moneysupermarket.com, Simplifydigital.co.uk and Broadbandchoices.co.uk also frequently negotiate exclusive deals with providers on your behalf, so check here first for the best offers. Fierce competition, combined with the recession, means telecoms companies are working even harder to keep customers. Once you have shopped around, it is worth speaking to your current supplier to ask for a better deal.