Moving house, in contract no cityfibre. What are my options.

Hi,

I'd be grateful for any advice.

Will hopefully be moving house in the next couple of weeks and I'm leaving an area with Vodafone city fibre and moving to an Openreach area.

I'm in contract until June 28, paying £24 currently for Pro 2.

When I contacted Vodafone yesterday, they originally told me I could have 910, either for the same price £24, or a new contract for £39 a month. Obviously I went for the £24. They then said the computer wouldn't allow the previous price. I said I wasn't happy as they were expecting me to pay more for a lesser product, I'm currently getting 910 up and down and will be getting 910 down, 105 up. The agent referred me for a complaints manager call back.

I'm try to arm myself ready for the call.

If they can't offer FTTP, do they not have to let me out of the contract? I understand that Openreach lines are generally more expensive, but am I obliged to pay another £15 a month?

This is the info on the BT availability checker if it helps

Featured Products Downstream Line Rate(Mbps) Upstream Line Rate (Mbps) Downstream Range (Mbps) Availability Date FTTP Install Process
WBC FTTP Up to 1000 Up to 220 -- Available KCI2 Assure
Other Offerings Availability Date
VDSL Multicast Available
Our records show the following FTTP network service information for these premises:-Single Dwelling Unit Residential UG Feed with no anticipated issues.

ONT exists with no active service. A spare port is available. Network is at capacity so a new ONT cannot be ordered.

For all ADSL and WBC Fibre to the Cabinet (VDSL or G.fast) services, the stable line rate will be determined during the first 10 days of service usage.

In order to be eligible for handback, downstream speed should be less than Downstream Handback Threshold values.

If you decide to place an order for a WBC fibre product, an appointment may be required for an engineer to visit the end user's premises to supply the service

ADSL, ADSL2+ and SOADSL availability: If shown at FTTP or SOGEA premises,ADSL, ADSL2+ and SOADSL are not available to order due to WLR Withdrawal stop sell rules. CPs should order FTTP or SOGEA. Copper products are only available by exception.

Openreach is generally more expensive than CityFibre and is asymmetric at consumer prices (Openreach is still trialling XGSPON, while CityFibre is using it).

The BT checker indicates the property has a currently inactive Openreach ONT that is ready to use. As long as that ONT is present and working, I don't foresee any issues getting FTTP.

Thank you.

I didn't word my post very well. I know I can probably get FTTP over Openreach, but as that isn't the same product, the upload stopped is slower, can they legitimately charge me another £15 a month?

Check your contract, but I think you will find that they can charge you more as (a) it is effectively new service at (b) a new address using (c) a different base carrier (Openreach instead of CityFibre).

Therefore I don’t think your argument for them holding the pre-move price would hold water.

I don't know the legalities of it but I would argue my corner, I would be telling them politely that they either need to honour the existing price (or an acceptable compromise price) or let me out of the existing contract.

In reply to a post by thar:

I know I can probably get FTTP over Openreach, but as that isn't the same product, the upload stopped is slower, can they legitimately charge me another £15 a month?

The relevant Vodafone terms and conditions are:

In reference to binaries.vodafone.co.uk/gbnnsauqav4t/4dX74SWPcyBfyzgPhPYhwu/6bdfb63...:

7.5 If you are moving house.

a) Please let us know at least 30 days in advance of your moving date. If you wish to transfer your Home Broadband and Phone Services to your new address in the UK, we will conduct a service availability check. If we are able to provide the services at your new address, we will arrange the transfer. Connection charges may be applicable for connecting the Home Broadband and Phone Services to your new home (for example if a new phone line or fibre connection is required).

b) If you wish to transfer your Home Broadband and Phone Services to your new home, you may become subject to a new agreement with us and a new minimum period may be applicable from the service activation date at your new home. If you choose to terminate the new agreement within the first 14 days of your service activation date and were within your minimum term of your previous agreement a termination fee may be payable.

Section 7.5(b) gives Vodafone the right to start a new contract when you move, on the basis that they waive the early termination fee for your old contract so long as you continue the new contract beyond the 14-day cooling-off period.


It is not surprising that you are being asked, as you put it, to pay more for less. Openreach doesn't offer symmetric consumer FTTP, and their wholesale prices are higher than CityFibre.

Considering that Vodafone are allowing you to exit the contract on your existing property early without penalty, so long as you take and continue their service at your new address, and that they are having to use a more expensive and lower upload speed wholesale product to serve your new address, Vodafone exercising its right to start a new contract at a higher monthly price does not seem unreasonable. I certainly cannot see anything here that is likely to engage the unfair terms restrictions in Part 2 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (which are staggeringly difficult to use in practice; the relevant case law is complex).

If you do not like Vodafone's offer, investigate alternative options that will pay your early termination fee.

(Note: I do have a first-class law degree in the law of England and Wales, but I am not a practising lawyer. This post is correct to the best of my ability, but may contain errors).

Vodafone are well within their rights to offer you a new contract at whatever the costs of that are, or to terminate your service and charge an ETF. As you only have 8 months left @ £24 and the ETF is ex-VAT, is only meant to be the cost price of the service etc. then it's worth asking Vodafone what the charge is.

You will find providers offering to buy out your contract (check the wording carefully that this applies when moving house), and combined with upcoming Black Friday deals or cashback offers could end up significantly better off. Sky for example offer £200 switching credit, and Quidco will give you £120.

My contract runs out June 2028, I have 20 months left.

Just waiting for the call to see what they say.

In some ways being offered a chance to avoid early termination fees even if it’s by taking what you could consider to be an inferior and more expensive replacement is still quite a deal , if you were with an Alternative Network that was also your ISP and you moved to an address they didn’t offer service at , they would be within their rights to simply raise early termination charges as you are ending your relationship 20 months early.
Presumably you will need broadband at the new address , if Openreach are the only network available, chances are even if you could leave VF without ETC , they will be one of the cheapest available on Openreach at the new address anyway .

Edited by Iniltous (Mon 19-Oct-26 09:37:48)

Your cost to change; £24 to £39 would be £300 for the remainder of the term of the existing agreement.

ETFs are likely to come in much higher (around 80% of the cost of remaining term) - so around £384, before taking into account any annual price rises etc.

See what they come back with, but on the face it you’re better off not simply cancelling the existing contract - unless you could get another provider to buy it out (see caveats raised by @jpm on that)

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

See what they come back with, but on the face it you’re better off not simply cancelling the existing contract - unless you could get another provider to buy it out (see caveats raised by @jpm on that)

You could always make the move, take the new 24 month contract, and then wait until the ETFs on the new contract drop to the level where some other provider will buy you out.

But personally, I'd start with asking them to match what a *new* customer would pay for a new 24 month contract on Openreach FTTP. Right now they're offering me £29 per month (increasing to £32.50 on 1 Apr 2027 then £36 on 1 Apr 2028) for 910Mbps. It seems unfair that you should pay significantly more than that.

Just to update, I had 2 calls from Vodafone complaints this morning.

The first manager apologised for me being given incorrect information by the 2 CS agents and explained that I could not stay on the original contract term and that they could not reduce the price. I mentioned the new customer deals but they insisted they could only be applied to genuine new customers and not myself. I said I wasn't happy and that I have been a (satisfied) Vodafone customer for 7 years.

The manager said she would escalate to a higher complaints team.

The second complaints manager was still not for moving on the price or the contract term, so I asked what the charge would be to leave. They told me that as I had been a valued customer, I could leave without a termination charge. I told them that I would go ahead with the early termination in that case.

I have received confirmation of this in an email.

To resolve this for you, we've waived your early termination charges. Furthermore, we've scheduled a future disconnection date for 18 November 2026. This ensures you have plenty of time to port your services over to a new provider.

Please rest assured that you will only be charged for the exact days you use our services. Your service with Vodafone will automatically cancel the moment your new provider takes over the line.

I am now looking at deals and am considering whether to go back to Vodafone as a "new" customer at the new address, using my other half's details, otherwise, Plusnet and EE have offers for a few £ a month more.

In reply to a post by thar:

I have received confirmation of this in an email.

To resolve this for you, we've waived your early termination charges. Furthermore, we've scheduled a future disconnection date for 18 November 2026. This ensures you have plenty of time to port your services over to a new provider.

Please rest assured that you will only be charged for the exact days you use our services. Your service with Vodafone will automatically cancel the moment your new provider takes over the line.

I am now looking at deals and am considering whether to go back to Vodafone as a "new" customer at the new address, using my other half's details, otherwise, Plusnet and EE have offers for a few £ a month more.

wait till november when the BF deals comes out