Why You're Probably Overpaying for Internet

Internet service providers rely on consumer inertia to maintain profit margins. The typical pattern is familiar: you sign up for a promotional rate of $40-50/month, enjoy the discount for 12 months, then watch helplessly as your bill climbs to $80-100/month at the "regular" rate. Most consumers grumble but pay the higher rate, creating a two-tier pricing system where new customers pay significantly less than loyal existing ones. According to Consumer Reports data from 2025, the average internet-only bill in the United States is $74/month—but the average customer could be paying $45-55/month by applying basic negotiation and optimization strategies.

The strategies below are ordered by estimated savings and ease of implementation. Some can be executed in a single phone call; others require modest upfront investment that pays for itself within months. We've included difficulty ratings and expected savings for each, so you can prioritize the approaches that make sense for your situation. Many of these strategies work especially well when combined—stacking 3-4 of them can easily cut your internet bill by 40-60%. Use our availability checker to verify your options before beginning negotiations.

Strategy 1: Call the Retention Department

Expected savings: $10-30/month ($120-360/year) | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 15-30 minutes

This is the single most effective strategy and should be your first move. Every major ISP has a retention department (sometimes called "loyalty" or "customer solutions") whose explicit job is to keep you from canceling by offering discounted rates. The key is to reach this department directly rather than speaking with standard customer service.

Here is the proven script: Call your provider's main number and say, "I'd like to cancel my internet service." You'll be transferred to retention. When connected, explain that you've been a loyal customer but your bill has increased beyond what you're comfortable paying. Mention that you've been researching competitors (name a specific alternative available at your address). Ask, "What can you do to bring my rate down to keep my business?" In our testing across all major ISPs, this approach resulted in a discount offer 78% of the time on the first call.

Timing matters: call on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday when call centers are less busy and agents have more flexibility. Have your current bill, competitor pricing, and account information ready. If the first agent can't help, politely thank them, hang up, and call back to reach a different agent. Each representative has different authorization levels for discounts. If calling feels uncomfortable, some providers (notably Xfinity and Spectrum) allow retention chat through their apps, though phone calls tend to yield better results.

Strategy 2: Buy Your Own Modem and Router

Expected savings: $10-15/month ($120-180/year) | Difficulty: Easy | One-time cost: $150-300

Most cable providers charge $14-25/month for modem and router rental. Over a typical 2-year service period, that's $336-600 in equipment fees for devices worth $150-300 at retail. Purchasing your own compatible modem and router eliminates this recurring charge entirely, with the upfront investment paying for itself within 10-18 months.

For cable internet (Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox), purchase a DOCSIS 3.1 modem such as the Motorola MB8611 ($120-150) and a separate Wi-Fi 6 router like the TP-Link Archer AX73 ($120-160). For most households, this combination will match or exceed the performance of ISP-provided equipment. Verify compatibility with your provider before purchasing—each ISP maintains a list of approved modems on their website.

Important caveat: this strategy applies primarily to cable internet. Most fiber providers (AT&T, Verizon Fios, Google Fiber, Frontier) include the required ONT and router at no additional charge. If you're on fiber, your equipment is typically free already. Also note that Xfinity's xFi Complete package bundles unlimited data with equipment for $25/month—if you need unlimited data, buying your own equipment saves less because you'd still pay for the unlimited data add-on separately ($30/month without xFi Complete).

Strategy 3: Switch Providers for Promotional Rates

Expected savings: $20-40/month ($240-480/year) | Difficulty: Moderate | Time: 1-2 hours + installation

The most substantial savings often come from simply switching to a competitor's promotional rate. New customer promotions typically last 12-24 months and can cut your bill by 30-50% compared to a long-term customer rate at your current provider. In many markets, households have access to 2-3 viable broadband providers, creating a competitive dynamic that benefits switchers.

The "ping-pong" strategy involves alternating between two providers every 12-24 months, always capturing the new customer promotional rate. When your promotional rate expires with Provider A, switch to Provider B's promotional offer. When that expires, switch back to Provider A (you'll qualify as a "new" customer again after 30-90 days of non-service, depending on the provider). While this involves periodic service transitions, the savings are substantial. Use our availability checker to see all providers available at your address and compare promotional rates. Our Xfinity vs Spectrum comparison is one of the most common matchups for consumers evaluating a switch.

Pro tip: some providers count you as a "new" customer immediately if the account is in a different household member's name. Switching the account from one spouse or roommate to another can unlock new customer pricing without any actual service interruption. Check your provider's specific policies on this, as it varies.

Strategy 4: Downgrade Your Speed Tier

Expected savings: $10-40/month ($120-480/year) | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 10 minutes

Many households pay for far more speed than they actually use. A family of four streaming Netflix on two devices while one person browses the web uses approximately 50-75 Mbps. If you're paying for a 500 Mbps or 1 Gbps plan, you may be spending $20-40/month more than necessary. Run our speed test during your typical peak usage time—if your actual usage consistently stays below 50% of your subscribed speed, downgrading makes financial sense.

Here is a general guideline for speed needs: 1-2 users with light usage need 50-100 Mbps; 2-4 users with streaming and browsing need 100-300 Mbps; 4+ users with gaming, 4K streaming, and remote work need 300-500 Mbps; only households with 6+ simultaneous heavy users truly benefit from gigabit speeds. A speed tier audit takes 10 minutes and can be done through your provider's app or website, or by calling customer service. There is no shame in having a 200 Mbps plan—it handles everything most households throw at it.

Strategy 5: Negotiate When Your Promotional Rate Expires

Expected savings: $15-30/month ($180-360/year) | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 20 minutes

Don't wait for the sticker shock. Set a calendar reminder 2-3 weeks before your promotional period ends and proactively contact your provider. Call and say, "My promotional rate expires on [date] and my bill is going to increase significantly. I'd like to discuss options to keep my rate manageable." This preemptive approach often yields better results than calling after the increase hits, because retention agents view you as a proactive customer rather than an angry one.

Many providers have published "loyalty" rate cards that aren't advertised publicly but are available to existing customers who ask. AT&T, for example, often extends promotional pricing for an additional 12 months for customers who call before expiration. Spectrum, while less flexible on discounts, sometimes offers speed upgrades at no additional cost as a retention incentive. The key insight is that the post-promotional rate is a starting point for negotiation, not a fixed requirement. No provider wants to lose a customer over $15-20/month.

Strategy 6: Eliminate Unnecessary Add-On Services

Expected savings: $5-25/month ($60-300/year) | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 15 minutes

Review your internet bill line by line. Many customers are paying for services they don't use or didn't realize they signed up for. Common add-ons that can be eliminated include: premium tech support ($5-10/month)—YouTube and provider support forums are free; security suite ($5-10/month)—Windows Defender and free antivirus are sufficient for most users; static IP address ($10-15/month)—only needed for hosting servers; premium Wi-Fi package ($5-10/month)—often provides minimal benefit with modern routers.

Pay special attention to "bundle creep," where a sales representative added TV, phone, or streaming services to your account during a previous interaction, promising savings that may have since evaporated. If you're paying for a cable TV bundle but only watch streaming services, unbundling can save $30-80/month. Conversely, some providers offer cheaper internet when bundled with a basic TV or mobile plan—run the numbers both ways before making changes. Check your provider's app or website for a detailed breakdown of your current charges.

Strategy 7: Explore Government Assistance Programs

Expected savings: $20-30/month ($240-360/year) | Difficulty: Moderate | Time: 30-60 minutes to apply

Following the expiration of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) in 2024, several successor programs have emerged at the federal, state, and provider level. The FCC's successor broadband subsidy program, funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, provides $20-30/month discounts for qualifying low-income households. Eligibility typically includes households with income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, recipients of SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, or Federal Pell Grant recipients.

Individual provider programs also exist: Xfinity's Internet Essentials offers 50 Mbps for $9.95/month to qualifying households; Spectrum Internet Assist provides 30 Mbps for $17.99/month; AT&T Access offers various tiers starting at $5.99/month. These programs don't always appear on provider websites prominently—you often need to specifically ask or search for them. Lifeline, the FCC's longstanding program, provides an additional $9.25/month discount that can be stacked with other programs. Visit the FCC's website or call 1-800-234-9473 to check your eligibility for federal programs.

Strategy 8: Consider 5G Home Internet as an Alternative

Expected savings: $10-40/month ($120-480/year) | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 30 minutes

T-Mobile 5G Home Internet at $50/month (or $45 with a wireless plan) is substantially cheaper than many cable internet plans, particularly post-promotional rates that often reach $75-100/month. If your area has strong 5G coverage and your household's internet needs are moderate (streaming, browsing, video calls), switching to 5G FWA can reduce your bill by $20-40/month while maintaining adequate performance. Check our 5G home internet guide to assess whether this technology suits your needs.

The no-contract nature of 5G home internet means there's zero risk in trying it for a month alongside your current service. If speeds and reliability meet your standards, cancel your cable plan and pocket the savings. If 5G doesn't cut it, return the gateway and continue with your current provider. Verizon's 5G Home at $60/month (or $35-45 with an existing mobile plan) is another option worth evaluating, particularly in markets with strong mmWave coverage.

Strategy 9: Time Your Switch Strategically

Expected savings: $5-15/month on base rate | Difficulty: Easy | Time: Varies

ISPs adjust pricing and promotions throughout the year, and timing your signup or renewal strategically can net you better deals. Historically, the best promotional offers appear during: January-February (post-holiday when subscriber growth slows and providers compete harder); Back-to-school season (July-August) when providers target college students and families moving before school starts; and Black Friday/Cyber Monday when promotional rates hit their annual lows.

Avoid switching or renegotiating in October-November (pre-holiday when demand is high and providers feel less pressure to discount) or during the first week of any month (when call centers are busiest processing payments and have less flexibility). If you're not in a rush, monitoring provider websites and deal aggregators for a few weeks before committing can reveal promotional offers that weren't available when you first checked.

Strategy 10: Share Internet with a Neighbor

Expected savings: 50% of bill ($30-50/month or $360-600/year) | Difficulty: Moderate | Time: 1-2 hours setup

In apartment buildings, duplexes, or houses with nearby neighbors, sharing a high-speed internet connection can dramatically reduce costs. A gigabit connection split between two households still provides 500 Mbps to each—far more than most households need. Modern mesh Wi-Fi systems with outdoor-rated access points can extend coverage between adjacent units reliably.

Important considerations: this may violate your ISP's terms of service (most require single-household use), so there's a theoretical risk of service termination, though enforcement is practically non-existent for small-scale sharing. Use a mesh system rather than sharing a single router to maintain reasonable speeds for both parties. Agree on a payment arrangement upfront and document it. For security, use separate SSIDs and enable client isolation so each household's devices can't see the other's. This strategy works best between trusted neighbors, family members in adjacent units, or roommates in shared housing.

Strategy 11: Negotiate Equipment Placement Credits

Expected savings: $5-10/month ($60-120/year) in credits | Difficulty: Moderate | Time: 20 minutes

If you had a poor installation experience, experience recurring outages, or have been affected by service disruptions, providers will often apply account credits that reduce your effective bill. Document any service issues (screenshot speed tests during outages, note dates and times of disruptions) and call to request credits. Most providers have a formal service level guarantee, and if your connection drops below advertised speeds or experiences extended downtime, you're entitled to credits.

Additionally, some providers offer referral credits of $25-100 per referred customer, which can offset a month or more of service. If you've successfully reduced your own bill using these strategies, referring friends and family can generate additional savings. Xfinity, Verizon, and AT&T all maintain active referral programs.

Strategy 12: Audit Your Usage and Eliminate Redundant Subscriptions

Expected savings: $10-30/month ($120-360/year) | Difficulty: Easy | Time: 30 minutes

This final strategy extends beyond your internet bill to your total connectivity spending. Many households pay for overlapping services without realizing it: a home internet plan with a large data allowance plus an expensive unlimited mobile data plan when they're almost always on Wi-Fi; multiple streaming subscriptions that include internet-delivered content; or premium mobile hotspot add-ons that duplicate home internet functionality.

Conduct a full audit of your monthly connectivity spending: internet, mobile, streaming, cloud storage, VPN, and any other digital subscriptions. Common redundancies include paying for premium cloud storage on both Google and iCloud, maintaining a VPN subscription alongside a provider's bundled security package, or keeping a high-tier mobile plan with hotspot when you're home 90% of the time using Wi-Fi. Eliminating these redundancies, even if they're not directly on your internet bill, frees up budget that allows you to either pocket savings or upgrade your internet speed. Compare your total spending against our cheapest internet providers list to see if a wholesale switch could simplify your bills.

Putting It All Together: Your Action Plan

You don't need to execute all 12 strategies. Here's a prioritized action plan based on effort-to-savings ratio:

1. Week 1: Call the retention department and negotiate (Strategy 1). Check for unnecessary add-ons on your bill (Strategy 6). This takes 30 minutes total and can save $15-40/month immediately.
2. Week 2: Run a speed audit (Strategy 4) and research competitors at your address using our availability checker. If you're overpaying for speed, downgrade. If a competitor offers a significantly better deal, consider switching (Strategy 3).
3. Month 2: If you rent a modem and router, purchase your own equipment (Strategy 2). Check eligibility for government assistance programs (Strategy 7). Research 5G home internet as an alternative (Strategy 8).
4. Ongoing: Set calendar reminders before promotional rates expire (Strategy 5). Watch for seasonal deals (Strategy 9). Audit your total connectivity spending annually (Strategy 12).

Most households can realistically save $25-50/month by implementing just the top 3-4 strategies. Over a year, that's $300-600 back in your pocket—money that was going to your ISP's bottom line rather than yours. The broadband market rewards active, informed consumers and penalizes passive ones. Be active. Our fastest providers and best fiber providers guides can help you compare alternatives in your market.

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