Money
The setup fee inside the year
A £0 setup on a 24-month handcuff is a fee wearing a term. Add it up, or we will add it up for you.
11 min read · Money
Setup fees are honest when they are numbers, and rude when they appear after you have chosen a winner. A fibre drop is physical work. Someone pays the van. The only question is whether you see that payment in the same glance as the monthly, or whether a comparison engine trained you to fall in love with £24.99 and discover £59 at checkout like a plot twist.
Put it in the year
Add setup, delivery, and the first known rise. Divide by twelve if you like a monthly fiction, but keep the cash total. Humans spend cash.
A £26 line with £0 setup can beat a £24 line with £90 activation over a year. This is not advanced.
‘Waived’ is a term
Waived setup on 24 months is a reason they will be unpleasant if you leave in month six. Put the waived amount next to the exit fee. They are cousins.
If they waive it unconditionally, good. Get that in the order PDF.
Engineers are not a moral failing
A plant change may need a van. Paying the van is sane. Pretending FTTP appears by email is not.
Failed visits you caused can add fees. Failed visits they caused should not. Put the cupboard key on the order so you do not buy the former.
| Item | In our year-one? | Sometimes disguised as |
|---|---|---|
| Activation / setup | Yes, if known | £0 on 24 months |
| Engineer | Yes, if billed to you | ‘standard install included’ until it is not |
| Courier for hub | Yes, if charged | ‘free delivery’ except the islands |
£0 setup is either kindness or a delayed invoice. The PDF knows which.
Vans are not free. Honesty about vans is a ranking input. We would rather look dearer on a poster than lie about a £59 that you will pay.
Questions
- Is a setup fee a scam?
- No. Engineers cost money. Hiding it is the mischief. Showing it is adult.
- If I cool off, do I get it back?
- You may still pay a reasonable amount for work done. See cooling-off. Setup is not automatically free because you changed your mind.
- Waived if I stay 24 months?
- Then it is an exit-shaped fee. Include it in the handcuff arithmetic.
- Two setup fees if I switch plant?
- You may pay the gainer’s. You should not pay the loser a ‘cease setup’. Read both.
- Why is yours different from another table?
- We add the known cash. They may sort on the monthly headline. That is why the tables disagree.
Sources
- Ofcom advertised speed and price guidance
- ASA broadband pricing practice
- OneTouchSwitch year-one methodology
Figures move. Prices, coverage and eligibility must be confirmed with the provider. OneTouchSwitch is not Ofcom, TOTSCo or a broadband network. Last fact-checked 10 September 2026.
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