If you’re struggling to pay your mobile, phone, internet or TV bill

You should be able to get help from most providers.

Contact your provider and ask what they can do to help. For example, they might agree to help you by:

• giving you a payment plan
• reducing your bill
• giving you more time to pay
• increasing your data or download limit
• moving you to a contract that suits your needs better

If you arrange a payment plan with your provider 

Your payment plan should include:

•  an amount for what you currently use - this might be an estimate 

• an amount that will go towards paying back what you owe

Your provider might charge you a fee if you miss a payment or pay late - you should contact your provider if you think you’ll miss a payment. 

If you can’t pay your bill because of coronavirus 

The government have announced you should get extra help if you’re a customer of:

• BT

• EE

• Openreach

• Virgin Media

• Sky

• TalkTalk

• O2

• Vodafone

• Three

• Hyperoptic

• Gigaclear

• KCOM

For example, your provider might be able to give you free calls from your landline or mobile to make sure you stay connected. 

If you’re a customer of a different provider, you should still ask if they can help. If they refuse, you might be able to switch to a different provider. 

If you have a contract

If you have a contract (for example, an 18- or 24-month contract), you’ll usually have to pay instalments for the whole period even if you’re not using the service. If you don’t want the service anymore you might be able to cancel the contract early without having to pay anything other than what you owe. However, your provider might not let you break the contract.

Read our advice on what to do if you’re struggling with debt.

Getting a better deal

You might be able to switch phone providers for a better deal - but check your terms and conditions to see if you’re still under contract before trying to switch.

You can see a list of price comparison sites which have been accredited by Ofcom on the Ofcom website.

If you’re getting benefits

Ask your provider if they can offer you cheaper phone or broadband. You can find out how to contact your provider on their website.

You can switch to BT’s Home Essentials plan if you get any of the following and you don’t live in Hull:

• Universal Credit

• Pension Credit - you must get the Guarantee Credit element

• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance

• Income Support

If you’re already a BT customer you can still switch to Home Essentials. You can find out more about BT Home Essentials on the BT website. 

If you live in Hull, you might be able to get cheap phone calls and broadband with KCOM's Flex Packages. You can find out more about Flex Packages on the KCOM website.

Get help

Talk to an adviser local Citizens Advice bureau or Advice Direct Scotland's consumer service for more help.