Bills
How to negotiate a lower internet bill: the 12-minute call, with a script
Internet providers price for people who never call. The new-customer rate on their own website is often $30 below what a five-year customer pays. One call to the right department, with a competitor's price in hand, usually closes most of the gap. Here is the call.
The short version
- US home internet averages $91 a month in the latest report; Canadian households spend about $87.12
- Call one to two months before a promotional rate ends, say "cancel my service" to reach retention, and name a competitor's price.
- Ask for the new-customer rate, a lower speed tier, or the removal of equipment and fees.
- If they won't move, switch. The threat only works if you mean it.
What people pay
HighSpeedInternet.com's October 2026 report puts the average US home internet bill at $91 a month; BroadbandNow's April analysis found $81.1 The spread comes from what gets counted, but both sit well above the $50 to $60 new-customer offers the same providers advertise. In Canada, Statistics Canada's household spending survey puts internet access at $1,040 a year per household.2
Before you call
- Find your real price. On the bill, separate the plan price from equipment rental, taxes and fees. In the US, every provider must publish a standard broadband label with the price, the introductory rate's end date and the fees, in the style of a nutrition label; the FCC simplified the rules in July 2026 but kept the label.3 Compare your label with the one for new customers.
- Know when your promo ends. Most bills jump $20 to $40 at month 13. The best time to call is one to two months before that date.
- Get a competitor's offer. Type your address into the two or three other providers' sites (cable, fibre, and 5G home internet from the mobile carriers, which has become the usual price-breaker). Write down the price and speed. If nobody else serves your address, your leverage is a lower tier, not a switch.
- Check your speed tier. A one- or two-person home that streams and works on video calls rarely needs more than 300 Mbps. If you pay for a gigabit, the cheapest "discount" is the next tier down.
The call
Call or open chat, and when the menu asks why, say "cancel my service." That routes you to retention, the only team that can apply loyalty pricing. Then:
Script
"Hi, I'm calling about my bill. I've been a customer for [years]. My bill has gone up to [$90] a month, and [competitor] is offering [speed] at [$50] at my address. I'd rather not switch, but I can't justify the difference. What's the best rate you can offer on my current plan?"
If the first offer is small: "I appreciate that. The gap is still [amount]. Is there a loyalty rate or a new-customer promotion you can apply? And can you remove the equipment fee if I use my own modem?"
If they can't move: "Okay. Please note on the account that I'll be cancelling at the end of the billing period." Then switch, or call again in a week; a different agent often has a different answer.
Be polite and specific. The agent is measured on saves, so you are helping them. Write down the offer, the date it expires, and the agent's name, and check the next bill.
Four other ways to cut the bill
- Buy your own modem and router. Rental runs $10 to $15 a month; a $150 modem pays for itself inside a year. Check the provider's compatible list first.
- Drop the bundle. TV bundles are where bills hide $50. Internet alone plus one rotated streaming service (see our Netflix guide) is almost always cheaper.
- Switch as a new customer. New-customer rates are the lowest prices on the market. Switching every one or two years at promo end is tedious and effective, and in Canada the CRTC barred the big providers from charging cancellation or activation fees on home internet from June 2026.4
- Use a low-income plan if you qualify. US providers offer $30-range plans for households on SNAP, Medicaid or similar; in Canada, Connecting Families offers $20 plans to eligible families and seniors.
Then make it automatic
Put the promo end date in the calendar with a reminder six weeks ahead, and repeat the call. Twenty dollars a month is $240 a year, and the same approach works on phone plans; see how to switch to a cheaper cell phone plan. If the money saved is going to a card balance, start with our guide on getting out of credit card debt.
Sources
- HighSpeedInternet.com. Cost of internet by state report for 2026: average $91.27 per month (October 28, 2026); BroadbandNow April 2026 estimate $81.16
- Statistics Canada. Table 11-10-0222-01, Survey of Household Spending 2023: internet access services $1,040 per household
- Federal Communications Commission. Broadband consumer labels (required since April 2024; simplified July 2026)
- Moving2Canada, reporting the CRTC decision. Canadian cellphone and internet plan rules changing: activation, cancellation and plan-change fees eliminated from June 12, 2026 (CRTC Telecom Regulatory Policy 2026-43)
This guide is general information, not financial, tax, or investment advice. Rules and limits change; check the sources for the current figures before acting.
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