Households could save nearly £250 on bills by haggling – here’s how

HOUSEHOLDS could save nearly £250 a year on bills from broadband to mobile phone deals by hagging.

Families are facing eye-watering price rises across the board, from energy, food, broadband, fuel and mobile phone bills.

It comes as a cost of living crunch has hit Brits' finances, with Citizens Advice warning one in ten families are on the brink.

Around 3.2million households could be facing a financial crisis and find themselves in the red or unable to cover the cost of essentials.

But to beat the hikes and put more money back into your pocket, Which? said you can save more than £200 simply by haggling on your bills.

This saving could be made on broadband and TV packages, according to the consumer site.

It comes as millions of Brits are set to pay more for internet and mobile phone bills this year.

Virgin Media has already announced a bill hike that will see millions of customers' bills rise by over £56 this year.

While prices are expected to rise for mobile phone customers using providers such as BT, EE and Vodafone later this year.

Of a survey of 5,000 customers, Which? found nearly half had successfully bartered for better rates, with the average savings cashing in at £85 for broadband bills, £128 on a combined broadband and TV packages, and £35 on mobile phone bills.

That comes in at a saving of £248.

While those who ditched their provider and switched to another made an average saving of £35 for broadband, £65 on combined broadband and TV packages, and £40 on phone bills.

This means customers could save £140 by signing up elsewhere for a better deal.

However, one in five consumers did nothing and stayed put - which could mean they are overpaying on their bills, Which? said.

Its home and products services editor Lisa Barber said: "With the cost of living soaring, it's even more important to cut costs where you can.

"If you are happy with your current TV, broadband and mobile providers, don't be afraid to haggle when your contract ends as it is easier than you might think and you could save a lot of money."

How to haggle your bills

If you think your bills are too high and want to drive them down, the first thing to do is find out what the cheapest deal on the market is.

You can use this rate as a bargaining tool to get a better offer with your provider.

Get in contact with your provider to see if they can match this rate - if not, you might want to switch instead.

Martin Lewis has previously advised those haggling should be polite and charming to boost your chances of getting your bills lowered.

Combining your broadband and digital TV contracts could also save money.

A Virgin Media customer recently got £264 a year knocked off their bill just by asking for a discount.

You could even haggle when buying a house - one couple saved £11,000.

We spoke to a serial haggler who saves thousands of pounds a year haggling.