13 April 2018 – Price comparison site finder.com has released new analysis into home Internet usage in the UK, revealing the number of hours and data Brits are using each day.

391 UK local authorities were weighed up against the UK’s average screen time of 14.7 hours per week, as reported by Ofcom.* Thanet and West Lothian were the biggest home Internet users, each spending up to 32.9 hours online per person per week respectively.

When it comes to daily usage, Thanet and West Lothian residents are also consuming the most data, at 5.8 and 5.2 GB per day, respectively.

On the other end of the spectrum, those residing in Nah h-Elieanan Siar, City of London, Orkney Islands, West Somerset and Shetland Island are spending the least amount of time online, at 9.8 hours per week. Each are also using only 1.5 GB per day, 74.14 percent less than Thanet’s daily usage.

Interestingly, when narrowing down on London, the neighbouring authorities do not share the City of London’s far below-average interest in online activities. Londoners in the borough of Lambeth sit on the other end, at 18.2 hours per week and 3.2 GB per day.

The full details of the survey, complete with interactive maps per region, can be found here.

Jon Ostler, UK CEO at finder.com said, “According to Ofcom, data usage has increased six-fold since 2012. If you are spending a lot of time online, it’s important to compare broadband deals to ensure you’re not paying too much for your screen time. Reassess your current package to make sure it’s actually suited to your needs and that you aren’t paying for any costs you’re not aware of. For example, Sky charges £40 per month for it’s Entertainment and Broadband package, though this increases to £50 after the first 12 months. They also offer a deal for £20 per month, which rises to £30 after 12 months. Similarly, BT’s Unlimited Broadband deal costs £29.99 per month, jumping to £41.99 after 18 months.”

finder.com’s tips on reviewing your broadband plan:

1. Assess the contract length, the connection speed, bundling discounts and the amount of data in your deal.
2. Be conscious of ‘unlimited’ connections, as they will more often than not have an “acceptable use policy”, wherein the provider can cut off your data access if deemed excessive.
3. Review your plan every year or two to make sure your usage matches the plan you’ve signed up to. There are often introductory deals you can take advantage of by switching regularly.