Vodafone 'scraps' broadband line rental charge - but you're unlikely to save

Vodafone has announced that it will scrap line rental charges, but there are a few things you should know before you sign up.

Vodafone has scrapped broadband line rental charges – but all is not quite what it seems.

In the network provider’s latest move, customers won’t be charged £18 a month for line rental if they sign up to an 18-month contract.

They’ll still get a landline connection and phone number, with prices starting at £22 a month.

How to switch your phone, broadband and TV packages

The catch

However, industry experts point out that the charge is merely being merged into customers’ overall bills, rather than being an actual saving.

"To be clear, Vodafone isn't really abolishing line rental charges, it's simply combining the charge into its fibre pricing," said Ewan Taylor-Gibson from price comparison site uSwitch.

“Broadband providers are under pressure from the ASA to change advertised pricing so customers see a cost per month that includes line rental, so Vodafone is stealing a march on its rivals.”

Vodafone claims that customers signing up or upgrading to its Unlimited Fibre Broadband service offering speeds of up to 76 Mbps can save up to £349 on an 18-month contract, compare to a similar deal from Sky.

Households registering with Vodafone’s 38 Mbps fibre broadband service will save £167 compared to BT’s Unlimited Infinity 1 tariff.

Back in March, Ed Vaizey, the former-Culture Minister, called on BT, TalkTalk, Virgin and Sky to consider a potential ban on charging customers for landlines that they don’t use.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has been putting more pressure on broadband providers to be clearer about how they advertise their prices.

Switching your broadband deal

Most providers will likely follow suit, so expect to see some change in the market over the coming months.

For a quick and easy switch, it’s best to start with a reliable broadband comparison service, like broadbandchoices.co.uk, to find the best offers in your area.

Read more about how to switch broadband providers in our guide: How to switch your phone, broadband and TV packages.

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