Owned by BT, EE is one of the most popular mobile providers in the UK and a significant rising challenger in the broadband market. Despite this, EE broadband will not be the right provider for every household. You may find that the price has gone up, you want to be able to bundle in more TV services or you need to access a social broadband deal. For whatever reason you want to cancel EE broadband, this article will explain the steps you need to take and how much leaving could cost you.
How to cancel EE broadband if you’re out of contract
It is free to cancel EE broadband if you are out of contract. EE contracts are usually 24-months long, so contact customer services or check your online account to see if you signed up more than two years ago. If your minimum term has expired, you can switch to some providers without even needing to contact EE yourself.
As part of Ofcom's 'One Touch Switch' programme, customers moving from one Openreach-supported deal to another can simply sign up with their chosen new provider. This company will then contact EE to confirm you are leaving, without you needing to pick up the phone yourself. This is because your broadband is still operating from the same network, just with a different business acting as the supplier.
You can learn more about switching broadband by reading our article ‘How to switch broadband provider’.
If you are moving to a provider not powered by the Openreach network, such as Virgin Media, moving providers becomes slightly more complicated as you will need to contact EE directly. This also applies to customers getting rid of their internet connection entirely, or switching to a mobile broadband set up.
Cancelling EE broadband by phone
To cancel EE broadband, all you need to do is call customer services to give notice that you are leaving. The number to call is 0800 079 0544, which is free from landlines.
When you cancel EE broadband, your account will be closed within 14 days unless you are switching to another Openreach provider. In that case, your account will close to coincide with your new deal starting.
How to cancel EE broadband if you’re still in contract
Customers who cancel EE broadband while they are still under contract will usually need to pay an early termination fee. This is because signing up to a broadband deal is a commitment to pay your provider for a service for a set period of time, so you still have to pay even if you choose to stop the service. You can still cancel whenever you want to, you will just need to pay to do so. The exact amount you pay to cancel EE broadband will depend on what you currently pay per month and how long is left on your contract. EE will add together the future bills for the rest of your contracted period, minus any discounts you get and the savings it will make from not having to supply your broadband. It will also take 4% off your early termination fee to balance the benefit of getting your money immediately in one lump sum, rather than in instalments across several months.
Here is an example of how your cancellation fee would be calculated if you were on the Fibre Broadband plan and paying £36 a month, minus an £11 monthly discount, and you decided to cancel with six months left on your minimum term. EE would:
- Subtract your discount from the monthly charge (£36 - £11 = £25)
- Multiply by the number of months left on your deal (£25 x 6 months = £150)
- Subtract VAT (20% off £150 = £125)
- Subtract EE’s cost savings of £13 a month (£125 - £78 = £47)
- Subtract 4% discount for early final payment (4% off £47 = £45.12)
- Add VAT back on (£45.12 plus 20% = £54.14)
This would leave your total cancellation fees at £54.14.
How to cancel EE broadband for free
There are some cases when you will not need to pay a fee to cancel, even though you are in contract. One of these situations is if you are still in the first 14 days of your deal.
Internet service providers must offer a ‘cooling off period’ of at least 14 days, during which you are allowed to cancel for free if you change your mind. There may be some fees to pay if your connection has already gone live, but you should not need to pay EE’s early termination charge.
You can also cancel EE broadband if the price goes up, unless a future increase was agreed before you signed up. EE currently includes a clause in contracts for new customers that states that the monthly price will increase by the CPI (consumer price index) rate of inflation plus 3.9% every March. If your deal does not include such a clause, but your price still goes up, you should contact EE directly. If you query the price hike within 30 days of being informed, you should be able to leave your contract for free. Unfortunately, many EE customers will find they agreed to an in-contract price hike when they signed up, which means they cannot cancel for free when their bill increases.
Another reason you can cancel EE broadband for free while you are in contract is if your internet speed is slower than the guaranteed minimum listed in your contract.
How to cancel EE broadband if it is too slow
EE is a member of Ofcom’s optional ‘Broadband Speeds Code of Practice’. This code commits internet providers to supplying a customer with a guaranteed minimum speed throughout their contract. Your minimum speed will be included in your paperwork, so you should be able to check what it is and compare the figure to the speed reaching your devices. If you are not receiving the guaranteed minimum speed and EE is unable to make it faster, you will be able to leave without paying a termination fee.
You will need to notify EE if your connection is too slow. It will then have 30 days to investigate and make any necessary repairs. This will likely involve arranging for an engineer to investigate your home broadband set up and connections in the local area. If it cannot fix an issue within its network, you will be able to cancel EE broadband for free.
It is important to know that even if a speed test on your phone or laptop shows a speed slower than your guaranteed minimum, EE is not obliged to release you from your contract fee free. The important speed test is the one the engineer will perform to see the broadband speed that is reaching your home. That is because the guaranteed speed refers to what is supplied to your home, not what your devices pick up via your router and Wi-Fi signal. An online speed test is still useful to get an idea of what level of service you are receiving, but it could be slowed down by a poor quality router, the layout of your home or how many devices are connected – all things your provider is not responsible for.
You can find more information on broadband speeds in our article ‘What broadband speed do I need?’.
Before you cancel EE broadband
EE mobile customers get free bonus data if they are also EE broadband customers. If this applies to you, be aware that you will lose this bonus once you cancel EE broadband. Customers wishing to switch because of the cost of EE broadband may find it worthwhile calling to haggle for a better deal. EE’s customer service team will likely offer you a discounted deal to stop you from leaving, but you can still try and negotiate an even lower price.
You can see what we think of EE broadband by reading our independent ‘EE broadband review’.
Before you cancel, you could also use the ‘Ofcom broadband checker’ to see what types of broadband are available in your area and the range of speeds you could be getting. You may find that it puts your current package in a new light, or shows you could be getting much faster broadband on a different deal. If a new type of broadband – such as cable, mobile or full fibre – has recently been rolled out to your area, you would have a lot of options available should you cancel EE broadband.
How to compare broadband deals
You can compare a range of providers by using a comparison service such as Uswitch* to find out exactly what is available in your area. It is worth comparing broadband deals online via a comparison site prior to cancelling EE broadband, so that you know what price you could be paying elsewhere. Comparison sites help you to compare the best deals from multiple broadband providers at once. Results can be filtered by personal preference, usually with options to tailor results by factors including price, speed, reliability, Wi-Fi coverage and customer service. If EE is then not able to match that price, you could cancel and switch to the cheaper deal.
After you cancel EE broadband
You will likely need to return your EE TV box – if you have one – within 30 days once you cancel EE broadband. If you do not return your EE TV box, you could have £175 added to your final bill. EE will send a bag for you to post it back to them.
You do not need to return your router, but you can if you do not want to keep it or recycle it yourself. You can send it to EE at EE Returns, 1 First Avenue, Maybrook Industrial Estate, Minworth, Birmingham, B76 1BA.
It is still possible to check your old bills online for six months after you cancel EE broadband. If you receive any surprising extra charges you want to query, get in touch with EE as soon as possible.
