Plusnet offers fixed price broadband

As one of the UK's leading low cost providers, it seems only natural Plusnet would want to offer its customers the very best value for money. Their recent announcement of fixed price broadband and line rental services makes perfect sense for a brand that wants to 'do you proud'.

The fixed price offer will apply to new customers, meaning that the price they agree to when they take out the contract will remain the same for the duration of the agreement. Mid term price hikes are common practice for many of the major providers, so customers who are looking for peace of mind will undoubtedly be attracted to these new offers.

This comes at the same time as Plusnet make waves by becoming the first provider to offer end of contract notifications, helping customers to stay on the best deal for them.

© Plusnet

Who can get Plusnet fixed price broadband?

At the moment, the fixed price deals are only available to new customers of Plusnet. Those who are re-contracting or changing package, however, can still avail of a fixed price offer. They are advised by the provider to check via the portal what's available to them. At this stage, fixed pricing does not apply to Plusnet Mobile.

Customers who are moving home could still experience a price change, if the move takes them out of what Plusnet describe as their 'low cost area'. Currently, only 0.9% of the UK falls into this category, so chances are even a house move won't trigger a price hike.

The fixed price plan applies only to the broadband and line rental services provided by Plusnet. As is the case with most agreements, additional features such as call plans, call charges and the cost of add-ons like BT Sport, could be subject to price changes. Other costs such as installation charges and set up fees can still vary too.

A rival for TalkTalk?

Offering fixed price plans has been highly successful for TalkTalk, adding 80,000 new customers in the first quarter of the year. As the pioneer of fixed price deals, TalkTalk appear to have a rival in Plusnet, as the low cost provider's newly announced offers appear significantly similar.

The main difference between the deals is an important one, namely that TalkTalk have stated that all customers, including existing ones, can take advantage of these offers. Existing TalkTalk customers are able to sign up to a new deal if it's cheaper, but their contract term will be extended. Brand new customers to the service can try out the new Great Connection Guarantee from TalkTalk too.

Conversely, Plusnet's existing customers will need to wait until their contract approaches expiry to get into a fixed price deal. Offers available to them will be shown on the Plusnet portal, although there may be some benefit in negotiating directly with the provider on the phone too.

Altruistic or unrealistic?

Although these fixed price deals from both providers appear, on the surface at least, to be great news for the customer, they're not entirely a new thing. Although fixed price guarantees haven't been offered in the past, legislation from Ofcom has been in place since 2014 which prevents customers being tied into unfair deals.

Ofcom clarified that, in the event of a mid-contract price hike or significant change in service, customers should be allowed to leave the provider without any penalty imposed. This right remains in place whether on a fixed price or normal contract.