Check the small print when you move home or leave your broadband deal

For broadband users who find themselves in a contract they don’t like, the thought of escape is uppermost in their minds. At which point they discover the cost of moving to a better deal.

Here are some of the charges you could end up paying:

Late payment fees: Namesco, BT, Directsave Telecom and Virgin Media all charge late payment fees, ranging from £7.50 - £25, offering limited flexibility for people to pay when they can afford to.

Direct Save Telecom not only charges a £14.95 disconnection fee for late payment. You also pay a £14.95 administration fee for insufficient funds for a direct debit. Namesco charges a fixed £25 for any non payment or late payment.

Moving home charges: Madasafish, Namesco and Be*** all charge at least £50 to reconnect you once you have moved.

Contract termination fees: Cancellation fees are uniform across all broadband providers. The standard cancellation policy is that you have to pay off the remaining monthly subscription fees of the contract period - this could be anything up to 18 months.

Be aware however that if a provider says there is no minimum contract that doesn’t mean you won’t pay a cancellation fee. Some, such as PlusNet, Direct Save Telecom and Be Broadband, will charge a fixed cancellation fee of between £47 and £80 within the first 12 months.

Contract termination - equipment fees: BT charges a £45 equipment fee if you cancel your contract. Eclipse is probably the worst, charging £51 plus VAT for unreturned equipment.