Households warned over hidden broadband charges - here's what to look out for

Broadband customers are being warned to watch out for sneaky subscription add-ons that are automatically included in their packages.

In some cases, supplementary services like 'router breakdown protection' and hybrid assurance are being added to people's bills after a free trial expires.

Hybrid assurance kicks in if a customer's broadband service is interrupted and backup or an engineer out to your premises is required.

These add-ons are often provided for free for a limited period of time, but are then chargeable on a monthly basis, unless the customer cancels them.

The extra unwanted charges could, in some cases, add up to £94 per year to your broadband bill, according to The Sun.

Additional costs will be unwelcome given broadband costs rose by up to 14 per cent for some customers last year.

In terms of sneaky add-ons, POP Telecom reportedly offers a router breakdown protection service for free for a period of two months.

After the two months free trial is up, customers pay £2.50 per month for the router breakdown protection cover, equating to £30 for the year. This will need to be paid on top of the main broadband package costs.

Broadband provider Onestream, according to The Sun, automatically enrols customers into trials for McAfee Multi Access and Onestream Assured, lasting for one month and two months respectively.

On its website, Onestream state that Onestream Assured works as follows: 'If you encounter any problems with your telephone or broadband service, rest assured that your case will be given priority. This means your issue will be addressed faster, minimising any inconvenience.'

It added: 'In cases where an engineer is required, Onestream Assured ensures that Openreach prioritises your case.'

If these subscriptions are not cancelled before the trials end, customers are automatically charged £34.95 per year for McAfee and £4.95 per month for Onestream Assured, totalling £94 per year.

This is Money contacted POP Telecom and Onestream for comment.

Lisa Webb, Which? consumer law expert, told This is Money: 'It's really sneaky that some broadband firms are automatically signing consumers up to subscriptions for extras - such as router breakdown cover or service protections - they might not want.

'Broadband firms should be up front with their customers about any subscriptions or free trials included with their service so consumers can opt out or cancel after the free trial period if they would prefer.

'Ofcom should not hesitate to take action against any firms which are not clearly presenting contract information to new customers.

'In the meantime, consumers should carefully check the terms and conditions when signing up for any new services and should not hesitate to query any unexpected extras with their provider.'

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Before signing up to any new broadband package, read the terms and conditions carefully to see what is and is not included in your broadband package.

If you see any add-ons included and do not want them, untick the add-on inclusion option as you sign up to the broadband package, even if a short free trial is on offer.

If you do want to give the free add-on trials on offer a go, make a note of the date the free trial expires and ensure you cancel the ongoing add-on subscription if you no longer want it.

Regularly check your broadband bill to ensure that no additional add-ons are being included in your package if you do not want them.

If you feel your broadband costs are too high and the initial contract you have has expired, it is worth shopping around using comparison sites and phoning providers to see if they have a better deal for you.