Understand your broadband bill

1. What should my first bill look like?

The first section of your bill includes three important dates:

• The bill date is when the invoice was issued
• The payment due date is when the charges are due
• The bill period is the period of time you’re being charged for

It’s normal for your first bill to show an amount that’s slightly higher than your quoted monthly package price. This is usually because your service start date falls outside of your monthly billing period.

For example, if your bill period is the 23rd of the month until the 22nd of the next, but your service start date was the 20th of the first month, you’ll see a few extra days’ charges added to your first bill. Don't worry, you'll see things go back to normal from your second bill on.

Read more about why your first bill may be higher.

The extra days will be shown in the 'new charges' section of your bill as follows. This section is also before 20% VAT:

You’ll notice on your first bill that we charge in advance. Any overcharges for advance charges will always be credited back to you on your final bill. The ‘new charges’ section of your bill will contain any one-off charges or credits, such as engineer charges or promotional credits.

Anything in your invoice containing the letters 'CR' stands for credit, as opposed to a charge. The ‘new charges’ section is also exclusive of VAT. 

The 'total' section below includes your charges inclusive of VAT.

If your bill says you’re in credit, like the one above, we wouldn’t collect an amount through Direct Debit. Instead, it would be used to contribute towards the next bill.

If the credit is used towards your final bill, and there is still credit left over, it’ll be refunded back to you within ten working days of the final bill.

2. What will my phone charges look like?

If you use your landline phone for any calls which fall outside your phone plan, you’ll see the charges for this listed on your invoice. These will be shown in the ‘new charges’ section of your invoice, and won’t include VAT.

The ‘total’ section will show these charges inclusive of VAT. Check the bottom of your invoice to see the timings of the calls you’ve been charged for.

3. How do I pay my bill?

If you have an active Direct Debit with us, the payment due date on your bill will be around the time this is collected. You can set up a Direct Debit by calling 0330 094 5801. Lines are open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday, and 9am to 6pm on Sunday.

Alternatively, you can fill in the Direct Debit mandate on your invoice and post it to us. It’ll look like this:

If you’d prefer to pay your bill another way, we have a few options available. Read more about how you can pay your bill.

4. What happens if there’s a price increase or change to my package?

Every April, we review the price of our products and services, which may result in a change to the amount you pay. Or you may upgrade or change to a cheaper package.

The first bill after this change may be a little bit confusing due to our advance charges.

For example, if there’s a price increase on the 15th of a month, you may have had a bill that charged you in advance of the 15th at the rate of your old price. So your bill would have been cheaper than it should have been. 

To fix this, your next invoice will be slightly higher and the new increased price will be applied.

This will also be applied if you upgrade to a package offering a higher speed at an increased price. If you renew your package at a cheaper price, the same will be true, but with opposite effects on the pricing.

5. I’ve been charged after my termination date, where is my final bill?

As we charge in advance, and the due date for bills is around 14 days after it’s issued, many customers are debited for an amount after their service termination date. You’ll receive your final bill the following month and it will credit you back for any overcharges.

If you notice that you’re still being charged two months after your termination date, this may mean your service is still active. If this is the case, get in touch with us so that we can manually cancel your line. When switching, please look out for an automated cancellation email from us. If you haven’t received it, you may need to contact us.

6. What if I can’t pay my bill?

We understand it may be difficult to keep up with your payments. Taking the first step asking for help can be the hardest, but also the most important. If you’re struggling to meet your payment due date, please get in touch to talk to a member of our friendly broadband team. They can find out more about your circumstances and spot the right ways to help.