Excessively High Broadband Usage with BT

glitter123

They have just told me I exceeded my 40GB limited for the first time since I have been with BT. My monthly average is usually 25GB so well within my limit. They emailed me on 31 Jan to say I was close to my limit but now they have sent me notification that I exceeded my limit which basically means on the 31st Jan I used 8GB.

I don't have BT TV and have never downloaded films via the internet so I can't imagine how I used so much much in one day.

bonrosie

I know this is an old thread but we are having the same problem. Over the last 2 months we have been exceeding our 40gb limit. Our internet habits have not changed and we don't download movies or play online games. We have apps on our iPads to monitor our internet useage and the difference between what the app is telling us and what BT is telling us we have used is massive. Is the BT rep still active on these boards? I think they are telling us we are using more than we are to get us to upgrade to unlimited. How can I challenge them on this? I'll just get the usual, someone else must be using your wifi etc (they're not).

KxMx

Just a couple of comments in the context that it seems BT isn't good with actual usage.

Any kind of TV uses up your allowance. Youtube video, Netflix tv episode, I Player etc. Average hour streamed or downloaded in non-HD is about 65% of 1GB. For HD around 1.3GB per hour.

It's not just movies or BT TV or games, any TV which is streamed uses your broadband allowance. On a tablet, box, laptop etc it's all the same.

TV boxes which use the internet are going to burn through an allowance very quickly indeed.

If you use I Player Desktop anything downloaded to watch offline uses your allowance.

If anyone runs Windows on a desktop or laptop, upgrading uses 3GB easily. A one-off though obviously, unless you have to do it more than once for technical reasons.

glitter123, TalkTalk's BB usage figures are 3 days old at any one time. It may be the email you got on 31st warning you was also a couple of days old, and you used 8GB over the subsequent few days.

I would recommend anyone switching to unlimited internet these days, especially when used for tv streaming. I know I started with just downloading to i Player Desktop, streaming a few shows, now it's grown to loads with the addition of Roku boxes

I would also recommend changing your router password, even if you've already changed it from the default. Just in case.

JJ_Egan

bonrosie wrote: »

I know this is an old thread but we are having the same problem. Over the last 2 months we have been exceeding our 40gb limit. Our internet habits have not changed and we don't download movies or play online games. We have apps on our iPads to monitor our internet useage and the difference between what the app is telling us and what BT is telling us we have used is massive. Is the BT rep still active on these boards? I think they are telling us we are using more than we are to get us to upgrade to unlimited. How can I challenge them on this? I'll just get the usual, someone else must be using your wifi etc (they're not).

Measure what the router shows you as usage not what some app that may not cover all your usage .
Reset the router clears your counter to zero .

Log in to Home Hub router advanced settings Broadband and both up and down figures are shown .
Also number of days connected .
Suggest reset first day of the month .

Before i became unlimited i did just this every month .
Certainly my usage was the same figure as BT usage allowing for BT to be up to 2 days out of sync .
This usage by BT is shown on your account page and can also be monitored daily .

bonrosie

Thanks for your reply - i have just started monitoring our useage using the data available from the hub. Will be interesting to see if there is a difference between that and what BT say we are using.

glitter123

I just checked my broadband usage for 1st/2nd March on the BT usage monitor which says I have used 8.21GB.

Seems very high to me - all I am doing is surfing the internet and emailing. No music sites, videos, TV etc - only me using it.

SnowTiger

People often don't realise how much data things such as video and updates use.

That aside, BT Internet did have a problem in 2014 which resulted in customers being charged for Fon use.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/utilities/2014/08/bt-to-refund-customers-after-fon-wi-fi-blunder

bonrosie

Sorry to rehash this thread but does anyone know if there is a BT rep still active on these boards? We have been trying for weeks to speak to someone in BT who actually understands what our problem is ie we don't believe we are using as much internet data as they claim we are. How are we suddenly exceeding 40 gb a month from a few hours a night of email and surfing? The amount they claim we are using is not possible. However it's our word against theirs and they claim their usage monitor is correct. What more can we do other than leave as soon as our contract us up. In the meantime we are paying a fee every month for going over our limit. Is there an email address for a BT rep who will actually reply and investigate what is going on?

John8998

I've been searching for answers and came across this thread.
I just got hit with a bill for using 62 GB over my 40 GB allowance. BT can't say what's happening, and neither can I. It was suggested that I upgrade my broadband package.
Apparently 70 GB was in downloads. We use two smartphones in the house, so they can't possibly handle that. I've looked for "leeches" on the network and see none.
I can see this thread going on for years longer!

kwikbreaks

By far the easiest and cheapest solution is to move on to an unlimited product. If you don't think BT deserve your business change provider. Their counter may be right or it may be wrong but nobody has much chance of proving they are wrong.