My relative was paying $109/month for internet, and switching saved her $532
Key takeaways
- After comparing and switching, one pensioner saved over $500 in 12 months with a cheaper internet plan.
- The discounts and deals she qualified for delivered savings of $432 over the year, plus a $100 digital Visa gift card for switching through Finder.
- She'll continue to pay ~$250 less every year, confirming that big potential savings could be hiding in your internet connection.
A 73-year-old pensioner will save more than $500 in 12 months after switching broadband providers.
That pensioner, my aunty Lou, had been paying $109 a month for her NBN connection. Her plan is similar to mine, and she paid a similar amount to what I pay.
But I have a family of 5 high-device users. Lou barely uses her phone beyond texting relatives and the odd game of Words with Friends.
She's retired and lives on the pension, so every saving makes a difference.
Pensioners pay the loyalty tax
When I suggested she look at switching providers, I quickly realised my first hurdle.
She had a lot of brand loyalty to the telco she'd been with for many, many decades. This is pretty common: Finder research shows Aussies spend billions of dollars a year paying the loyalty tax.
So the biggest barrier was convincing her that changing providers was worth the time and hassle.
Once we crunched the numbers, though, the potential savings were hard to ignore.
Here's how Lou saved $500+
- Lou was connected to a $109-a-month NBN 100 plan
- She switched to an NBN 50 plan that cost $87.99/month, a monthly saving of $21
- For the first 6 months, the new plan was discounted by $30 to $43.99/month
Over the first 12 months, Lou's lower broadband costs worked out to around $432 in savings.
She was also eligible for a $100 digital Visa gift card for signing up through Finder Rewards, taking the total value of the switch to $532 in the first year.
For someone living on the pension, $532 can make a meaningful difference.
My aunty Lou put the gift card towards a return flight to Auckland to visit family.
And the savings won't stop after the first year. Assuming the $87.99 monthly price remains in place, she'll continue to pay around $250 less every year than she was paying previously.
It's a great reminder that broadband loyalty can come with a price tag – and that some big potential savings could be hiding in your internet connection.
With household budgets under pressure, spending 5 minutes checking your NBN bill could put hundreds of dollars back in your pocket with a cheaper internet plan.
We have loads of exclusive offers right now for Finder members, which come with digital Visa gift cards worth up to $200. Check 'em out!
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