Over half of all UK broadband users fail to read the small print of their broadband contracts, potentially overlooking conditions of use which could hike the cost of their connection, moneysupermarket.com has warned.

A careful overview of your contract could make all the difference when it comes to saving on your broadband bill, the finance site claims, yet many customers focus only on headline features such as unlimited downloads or a free modem.

Around one in three people said they didn’t know they could be fined for late payment, terminating their contract ahead of the agreed date, or exceeding the limit on ‘fair usage’ of their internet connection.

Providers such as Virgin and TalkTalk charge customers up to £5 if they do not pay their bills using direct debit, according to moneysupermarket.com, while Direct Save Telecom and Be charge cancellation fees of around £50 if customers leave in the first 12 months.

But broadband providers Be, madasafish, Direct Save Telecom and AOL were all praised for providing customers with “transparent contracts” which are clear about charges.

Recent research from Ofcom found that Britain’s ‘digital divide’ was closing as broadband became widespread across UK regions.

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