Broadband Usage units
Our broadband services have two main parts to the ongoing charges. A monthly charge for the service itself, which depends on the type of line, and a number of pre-paid usage units that you buy each month.
The usage units are used up when you download anything from the internet. Upload does not count. The speed that the units are used up depends on the time of day and also on the type of line you have. One unit is at least one gigabyte of download during the day.
How much do you get per unit
The number of gigabytes of download you get per unit depends on the type of line and time of day.
| Line | Daytime 9am-6pm Mon-Fri | Evening/Weekend All other times |
|---|---|---|
| BT 20CN | 1 | 50 |
| BT 21CN | 2 | 100 |
| BT FTTC | 2 | 100 |
| Be line | 8 | 125 |
Your usage does not have to be whole units at certain times, you can use some of a unit during the day and some in the evening, etc.
We currently have a special bonus aimed at people doing backups and file transfers over night. Instead of the normal 100GB/unit off peak tariff, between 2am and 6am usage is metered at 1000GB/unit.
How much is a unit
There is a minimum of two units a month of pre-paid usage per site. Each pre-paid unit in your tariff costs £3.00† so the minimum usage charge per month is £6.00† on top of the line only charge for the service.
What tariff should you pick?
| Line Type | ||
| | ||
| Time of day | Download Usage | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime usage (9am-6pm Mon-Fri) | - | |
| plus evening/weekend usage (all other times) | - | |
| Total units per month | - | |
| Suggested tariff (units per month) | - | |
| Monthly cost (broadband plus suggested tariff) | - | |
What if you use too much or too little?
We allow some give and take on your usage. If you use less or more than your tariff then the balance carries over to the next billing period, but there are limits.
If you start a period with lots of under usage brought forward from the last period, then any more than your monthly tariff is lost.
If you start a period with lots of over usage brought forward from the last period, then any more than your monthly tariff is charged at £4.99/unit†.
The usage is all metered to the byte, and carry over from one bill to the next as well as excess usage charging is done in 0.01 unit steps. So you don't pay for a whole extra unit just for using part of it.
Keeping you informed
The control pages have usage statements. These show exactly how much you have used on different types of line and times of day and how many units that works out to. They show how the units from the previous period were brought forward and tell you how many units would carry over to the next period. The current usage statement us updated at least every hour. Once you get about a week in to the billing period you will even see a forecast of usage based on your current rate and whether that would result in a bill or not.
We also email out the current usage statement during the billing period if it looks like you are using a lot, and send you updates if you keep using more than we would expect for your selected tariff. We normally send a text as well to let you know to check your email or the control pages for details.
At present we send a warning, as long as you have actually used half your allowance of the period so far, when you reach the point of carrying over zero units, half way to charges applying, when you reach the point of charges on your next bill, and at intervals afterwards (50% increases in usage).
The exact criteria for when we notify you may change from time to time, and at the end of the day you are responsible for your usage of the service whether we warn you or not.
Can I change my tariff
You can change tariff any time you like and it takes effect from your next regular bill. You can pick any number of whole units per month with a minimum of 2 units per site. A site can have many lines which can be of different types.
To change tariff use the on-line ordering pages.
When do changes apply?
We can announce changes to prices or usage per unit. The web site always states the current rates. Changes to prices take effect when the next bill is raised after we have changed prices. Changes to usage per unit apply on your next regular bill after we change the rates, just like changes to your selected tariff.
By next regular bill we mean when a new metering period is started on the usage metering. This is normally on your regular bill, i.e. every month. There can be cases where there are bills for a few days, e.g. when server starts just before the end of a month, or when billing for 30 days notice, and in such cases the current billing period is extended rather than a new one starting. In that case the existing tariff and usage per unit from the period that is being extended continues to apply, even if this is done after we have announced new rates or you have changed tariff.
