E-mail users who don't surf
If you really only check your e-mail online and don't do much else, then a pay-as-you-go package is probably still the cheapest package for you as you won't spend long online.
If you use an e-mail program rather than webmail you'll already be saving money by writing your mails on your computer before you connect.
Check your bills
A word of warning - often, we don't realise how long we are online. 0845 calls sound cheap. They vary according to your telephone company but they are around 4p a minute in the daytime, 1.5p in the evenings and 1p on the weekends.
Sound cheap? In fact, the hourly costs are nearly two pounds 40 pence an hour for day time calls going down to 60 pence an hour on the weekends.
So, one hour online every morning would cost nearly 53 pounds a month. Given the fastest broadband service is about 30 pounds a month for high speed 24 hour access, pay-as-you-go can be a bad option, depending on how you use the internet.
The best thing to do is check your bills to make sure that you aren't spending too much. If you are, then a 'regular surfer' option might suit you better.
Regular surfers
If you are a regular surfer then you will want to look at an 'unmetered' access package. With unmetered access you pay a fixed amount, normally around 15 pounds, and you are not charged for the cost of the call.
You need to think about a couple of things. To stop users leaving a computer permanently connected to the net some ISPs limit the total number of hours you can connect in a month.
Others may automatically disconnect users who stay online longer than, say, two hours. You can reconnect straight away if this happens, it's just a precaution to stop people walking away from the computer and leaving the modem connected.
Comparing unmetered and pay-as-you-go
If you are online for more than an hour a day, whether this is the best option for you mostly depends on what time you connect.
| When you go online |
Cost |
| Week days peak time |
If you use the internet for over an hour and a half a week on weekdays most pay-as-you-go packages will end up more expensive than an unmetered option. |
| Week days off peak |
If you use the internet for over four hours a week at these times most pay-as-you-go packages will end up more expensive than an unmetered option. |
| Weekends |
If you use the internet for more than six hours at the weekend most pay-as-you-go packages will end up more expensive than an unmetered option. |
Of course, most of us use the internet at lots of different times and your call costs may vary. So, it's always a good idea to check your bills and comparison shop between packages and companies.
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