Ofcom’s broadband guidance: check contract status before the end date
Ofcom’s consumer guidance was last updated on 24 August 2026. It currently puts checking whether you are still in contract first — a useful prompt to identify your broadband contract-end date before the review window narrows.
Update · Household bills · Published 8 September 2026
What changed
Ofcom’s “Money saving tips for phone, broadband and pay-TV” page was published on 1 July 2026 and last updated on 24 August 2026. Its first numbered step is currently “Check if you’re in contract”.
That is a guidance refresh, not evidence that Ofcom introduced a new broadband rule or changed customers’ legal rights. Ofcom says providers must send an end-of-contract notification between 10 and 40 days before the contract ends.
The contract-end date is the review point
Your broadband contract end date is the point around which to review your position. The provider notification is useful, but it does not have to be the only prompt you rely on.
Ofcom’s 2026 Pricing and consumer engagement report, using Q2 2025 operator data, found average out-of-contract spending differences of £7 for standalone broadband, £8 for dual-play fixed broadband and fixed voice, and £9 for triple-play fixed broadband, fixed voice and pay-TV. These are market averages, not a result that applies to every household.
What to do now
Confirm whether the broadband contract is still running and identify the contract-end date.
Keep the provider's end-of-contract notification and relevant contract information available.
Note any linked broadband, phone or pay-TV arrangements that may have their own dates.
Sources
- Ofcom — Money saving tips for phone, broadband and pay-TV. Ofcom's consumer-guidance page was published on 1 July 2026, last updated on 24 August 2026, and currently puts ‘Check if you're in contract’ first. This does not prove a new rule or change to legal rights.
- Ofcom — Are you in or out of contract?. Ofcom says phone, broadband and pay-TV providers must send an end-of-contract notification between 10 and 40 days before the contract ends.
- Ofcom — Pricing and consumer engagement report. Ofcom found that out-of-contract customers spent on average £7 a month more for standalone broadband, £8 more for broadband with fixed voice, and £9 more for broadband, fixed voice and pay-TV than in-contract customers. These are Q2 2025 market averages, not a result that applies to every household.