Switch to UW from BT - is UW Talktalk in disguise?

lilac_dawn

Help please. I'm out of contract on BT. I have been paying over the odds for benefits that they now admit I can't receive on the Halo package. I'm now looking at UW as if I bundle I will get a slightly better deal on my energy costs. However, is UW talktalk? When I go on the TalkTalk site, it says it cannot quote me for BB. The MSE comparison page gives Vodafone and Talktalk - no others. Vodafone is a no-go as the mobile reception is poor inside so I wouldn't want to trust a sim. Are there any downsides to UW broadband? Why won't Talktalk quote me though? Will add, I was on Talktalk years ago, the signal dropped out constantly so would not be in a hurry to go back - although they may have improved by now. 

Neil_Jones

Vodafone do home broadband as well down a phone line / FTTP as well as the mobile internet.  Your signal (or lack of it) makes no difference to the home broadband, though the standard of customer service gets flagged up a lot as being non existent as is the internet but your mileage may vary.

Utility Warehouse is repackaged TalkTalk.

Are you in an FTTP only area?  If you bash your details into here it'll tell you what you can get:

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

lilac_dawn

We don't have full fibre so have slow speeds...

QrizB

Neil_Jones said:

Utility Warehouse is repackaged TalkTalk.

Also, TT are moving some of their customers over to UW. There have been a couple of posts here about this, most recently this one:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81664494/#Comment_81664494

lilac_dawn

@QrizB do you have any tips for finding a new internet provider? The comparison sites only seem to give one option. It all seems a bit of a minefield but as I am paying almost £55 just for internet, no calls, with BT I think I am paying over the odds. 

QrizB

All I can suggest, if the comparison sites aren't giving you options, is to phone around the providers yourself. See what they can offer.

If you've currently got broadband from BT, I'd expect most of the other suppliers to be able to quote for you.

But it sounds as though you're going to choose UW, for the combination deal with your energy?

lilac_dawn

Yes, that's exactly what I have just done Saving £20 a month for broadband, but that's with calls included, which are an add-on and I can always ditch if I find they are not worth it. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly. I think I moved from BT once and that resulted in being cut off for a month although I seem to remember that's when I moved back to BT so the fault was with them. I should have taken that as a red flag then!

hareng

lilac_dawn said:

We don't have full fibre so have slow speeds...

Is that what the comparison sites say?

Had the same problem here they only list Virgin and Open Reach networks currently but been with City Fibre 3 years on 500meg £21 per month with no annual price hikes, Landline or not and customer UK based Service. 

Can be so daunting, its no wonder people are being misled.
Was with BT prior £44 per month with Halo for FTTC 51meg and you needed it to get any customer service.

Have no ties with any company, feel free to message me your postcode, i will have a look later.

lilac_dawn

Yes, comparison sites only gave me vodafone with a sim and TalkTalk. Not even BT! I'm taking a chance with UW anyway. The BT expert was here last week and said the speed was slow but changed the socket and the router so (allegedly) the speed improved. Sadly still dropping out for me and my neighbour so their 'it isn't a network problem' doesn't seem to be wholly truthful.