
43% of Australians have been on the same internet plan for three or more years, according to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by WhistleOut. This figure jumps to 69% for respondents aged 54 and above.
Of those surveyed, 38% didn't think changing telcos would result in a worthwhile saving, which increased to 65% for the 54-and-up demographic. The definition of "worthwhile" varied, but almost half of respondents across all ages were aiming for a $40 to $50 per month saving.
While the exact savings depend on what NBN provider you're with, regularly switching NBN plans is the best way for Australians to get a lower bill.
To start, staying with the same internet provider doesn't save you from price increases. NBN prices have increased several times over the last few years, and because of how NBN Co's wholesale pricing structure works, providers pass these on to their consumers. While you can sometimes stay on an old cheap mobile plan long after a telco stops selling it, this isn't the case on NBN. If you've been on an NBN plan for three years or more, the price will have risen several times.
While this is the case for all NBN providers, the latest trend has been rewarding new customers, rather than loyal ones. Many providers offer "honeymoon" discounts, where you'll pay a lower rate for the first six or 12 months. You'll pay the full price when the discount ends, but most NBN plans are contract-free now. This means you can typically leave as soon as your promotional pricing runs out. If you're happy to swap every six months, you'll never pay full price for your NBN plan.
That might seem like a lot of work, but you can change NBN plans in a matter of minutes, without downtime. The switch from one provider to another often happens on the same day.
The amount you stand to save depends on your current provider, but let's use Telstra as an example. Unsurprisingly, Telstra has some of the most expensive NBN plans around.
Telstra's NBN 100 plan is currently available for $100 per month for the first six months, and $110 per month thereafter. That's an average price of $105 over the first year.
For comparison, SpinTel's NBN 100 plan is $65 per month for the first six months, and $81.95 per month thereafter. That's an average price of $73.48 per month over the first year.
If you were currently on a Telstra NBN 100 plan, you'd save an average of $36.52 per month by swapping to SpinTel and staying for 12 months. If you just stayed for six months and then swapped after the honeymoon discount ran out, you'd be saving $45 per month.
Other providers including Southern Phone, Tangerine, and Exetel all also have NBN 100 plans around the $65 per month mark. It's very easy to keep bouncing between providers to ensure you're paying as little as possible on your monthly bill.
If you're thinking about swapping, these are the cheapest NBN plans in our database, grouped by speed tier:
WhistleOut's research comes from a survey of 2,000 Australians, looking into telco buying and decision-making habits.
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These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:
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