Majority of Brits 'paying too much for broadband'

Nearly nine out of ten consumers in the UK are overpaying for their broadband services, a new study has found.

Research by Computeractive magazine revealed that many people are paying for services they do not need or use.

The survey of 2,000 consumers showed that many can save £6.20 per month based on the recommended average of £9.60, meaning a broadband contract costing £5 a month would suffice for most web users.

Only 15 per cent of those questioned stated they carried out activities which require a faster connection.

The magazine also offered advice about reading the small print of broadband contracts very carefully.

"Many high-speed broadband contracts have what is called a bandwidth cap. This limits the amount of data that can be downloaded per month," the publication added.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 77 per cent of domestic properties have a home broadband connection.