If you’re paying too much for cable and internet service, there are a few easy ways to lower your Comcast Xfinity bill — with or without cutting the cord.
In this post, I’ll outline the five best strategies to save money on your Xfinity service.
How to Save Money on Xfinity Cable and Internet Service
Table of Contents:
- Downgrade Your Xfinity Plan
- Buy Your Own Equipment
- Switch to Xfinity Mobile
- Check ACP Eligibility
- Renegotiate Your Bill
1. Downgrade Your Xfinity Plan
If you pay for Xfinity TV service, the best way to lower your monthly bill is to cut the cable TV cord and switch to streaming.
YouTube TV is my top recommendation for first-time streamers.
The service offers more than 100 of the most popular cable TV networks as well as your local broadcast TV networks for $73 a month.
There are no contracts, hidden fees and installation appointments.
If you’re not quite ready to switch to a live TV streaming service, consider downgrading your Xfinity TV plan to Limited Basic/Choice TV.
This bare-bones plan includes 10+ networks – mostly your local stations.
Aside from TV service, you may have an opportunity to save by switching to an internet plan with lower data speeds.
For most households, Xfinity’s 200 Mbps plan is fast enough.
When you have more devices connected to the network at the same time, you’ll typically require a higher speed.
For singles and couples, a 50 Mbps or 100 Mbps plan may be adequate.
The bottom line: Many households pay for gigabit internet service when they don’t actually need that type of a plan for basic streaming and browsing the web.
2. Buy Your Own Equipment
Your Xfinity bill may include a monthly charge for the service’s router-modem combo called the XFi Gateway.
The rental price is up to $15 per month as of this update.
You can stop renting and buy your own equipment from a list of supported devices that Xfinity provides. I explain more in a separate article on Xfinity’s equipment fees.
From my research, expect to pay around $150 for a router-modem combo.
Think about it this way: The $150 that you pay upfront to own your equipment is less than a year of Xfinity’s rental charges.
I bought a Motorola gateway in 2018 to eliminate this fee and don’t regret it.
3. Switch to Xfinity Mobile
Signing up for Xfinity Mobile is a smart way to save up to $30 per month on your Xfinity Internet service.
Xfinity Mobile runs on Verizon’s network and uses Xfinity’s Wi-Fi hotspots.
When I first reviewed Xfinity Mobile back in 2017, few people expected the service to be as popular as it is today.
My Xfinity Mobile bill was only $15 per month back then:
The service is affordable and reliable. I hear very few complaints about it.
Xfinity Mobile is exclusively for Xfinity Internet customers. For that reason, only switch if you don’t plan to leave Xfinity anytime soon.
I have a full Xfinity Mobile review that covers the pros and cons.
4. Check ACP Eligibility
Some households may qualify for free Xfinity internet service through the government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP).
The program offers up to a $30 per month credit on your internet plan.
Xfinity’s website lets you shop for a plan, check eligibility for ACP and enroll in the program through Xfinity. Learn more here.
With Xfinity, two plans are available free to those with ACP benefits:
- Internet Essentials: Up to 50 Mbps
- Internet Essentials Plus: Up to 100 Mbps
Xfinity says these no-contract plans include Wi-Fi equipment and installation at no additional charge.
5. Renegotiate Your Bill
If you’re tired of seeing low introductory offers for new Xfinity customers while your bill only goes up, it’s time to give them a call.
I’ve successfully negotiated with Comcast and other internet service providers over the years. Here are the steps that I follow:
- Find a better offer from a competitor: If you have Xfinity, check the websites for other internet providers to see if they have a promo rate that’s lower than what you’re paying.
- Call Xfinity’s retention department: The phone number for Xfinity customer service is 1-800-XFINITY or 1-800-934-6489. Ask to speak to the Customer Solutions or retention department.
- Share the competitor’s offer and ask for a better deal: Tell the representative that you’re thinking about switching and ask nicely what can be done to lower your monthly bill.
In addition to being polite, I suggest that you call early in the morning to avoid having to wait a long time on hold. No luck? Call back another day to speak with a different agent.
Bill negotiation services like Trim and Rocket Money will do this work for you, but they’ll take a cut of any savings they’re able to obtain.
For that reason, I suggest that you try to negotiate on your own first.
Final Thoughts
I hope that you’ll be able to lower your Xfinity cable and internet bill by following at least one of these five tips.
However, if you’re not successful, it may be time to move on.
- Live TV: For those who want the best of cable TV, I review YouTube TV and the other live TV streaming services in this guide. In many cases, you can get all of the channels you watch (including local stations) for a lower price.
- Internet: 5G home internet services from T-Mobile and Verizon are providing real competition to cable internet providers. Expect to pay around $50 per month. For that price, you’ll get unlimited data, equipment included and no term contract.
Have you been able to lower your Xfinity cable and internet bill? Leave your tips in the comments below.
For more ways to save, subscribe to Michael Saves on YouTube!
Ever article I read on lowing my bill says to call and say you want to cancel. The problem I have is that Comcast has no competition in my area. It is Comcast or a T1 line for internet. Yes, I paid for a T1 line, a separate phone bill and Satellite TV for 6 years before I was able to even get Comcast to run a line to my home at a cost of$3000. paid by us. Now my Triple Pay bill is over $270. They know I will not cancel. How do I negotiate for a lower monthly bill?
Does Comcast know you don’t have competition? I am not being sarcastic. Where I live, AT&T isn’t technically available, but I still present that offer to Comcast over the phone.
Hopefully, 5G will be a solution for you in a couple of years from now. Hang in there!
We have five televisions with one of them in a guest room we can shut off from time to time. We pay a connection/equipment charge for each, is there equipment we can buy to lower our cost for these televisions.
We use verizon and will check out the possibility of getting Verizon services via Comcast as you recommend.
Would you be able to switch to a streaming service like YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV? Less expensive and no charges like that, but you will need a streaming device like a Roku for the TVs.
Turn in your (expensive) expensive extra TV connectors (now ~$10/mo.), buy Roku Express (latest generation) for $30 and use Xfinity Stream for channels in your TV plan or You Tube or many other channels Pays for itself in 3 months. Plus great reception / speed.
I like that you said you can combine a router with cable where it takes 15 minutes to set up. My aunt wants to switch cable services because her current plan is too expensive. I’ll have to keep researching the best plans and companies that are available.
My Comcast bill keeps going up and up. I can’t use the channels I have and its their Basic lineup. what can I do? Thanks for helping. On a shrinking budget…….
Do you have internet? Can you switch to streaming? Lots of options there. You can get live TV with Sling for $30/month.
Wanting to switch to a streaming service and debating between Hulu + live tv and YouTube Tv. I know you mentioned you prefer Hulu + Tv live better. Can you go into a little more detail on why?
Yes, I like Hulu Live because it has more of the channels that I prefer and all of Hulu’s on-demand library. YouTube TV is an excellent service. Compare the channel lineups and take advantage of the free trials to decide. Good luck!
I have Hulu and Netflix. I am will to upgrade to Hulu Live but still need an internet service in order to stream. Xfinity internet costs as much as a bundle with voice, which I don’t want and more than the basic channels which is all that I want. How do I get internet at a reasonable rate? Any suggestions?
Do you have a Comcast competitor? When I had Xfinity, it was around $50 a month after I got my own modem. That alone is now $14 a month. My current provider I also pay $50 for 200 Mbps, which is very fast. If you have a Comcast competitor, check it out. You may also want to see if T-Mobile’s new home internet service works in your area.
Regarding Hulu, everyone should be aware of a few very important things about Hulu (and why I canceled them after a 45-day trial period of Hulu + Live TV.) For me, AT&T TV Now is the #1 choice for the following reasons. #1) With AT&T I can fast forward through commercials on EVERY program that I record. With Hulu, there are many programs that you record that Hulu still forces the ads on you by disallowing fast forward during ads on many popular shows that you will likely want to record. #2) My HBO and Starz programming is shown within the AT&T channel guide – no need to exit the AT&T app and open the HBO or Starz apps like I had to do with Hulu. #3) I can set HBO/Starz progrms to record directly within the AT&T app. #4) AT&T only charges an additional $5/mo to add HBO; Hulu charges $15. #5) I can view AT&T on 3 screens – I was only allowed 2 screens with Hulu (maybe even 1; it wasn’t clear, I read conflicting info on that).
Regarding AT&T, a very important thing you should know first before subscribing to AT&T TV is that they no longer support Roku devices. (That’s why I considered leaving them and was looking at my options.) If you’re using Roku, you won’t find the AT&T app available to install. Their website has been saying for the past year that they’re in negotiations….but, I don’t think it’s ever coming back. Which is why I checked out Hulu. A big plus for Hulu is it works with Roku. But in the end, I preferred AT&T and ended up purchasing Amazon Fire Sticks so I could continue to use AT&T. (By the way, AT&T gave me $30 to buy my first Fire Stick to stay with them.) Turns out I like the Fire Stick interface; takes some getting used to after Roku or Hulu, but in the end I’ve decided there are things I like better about it.
So, there you have it. One consumer’s two cents after checking out all of my options over the past two months. I landed on keeping AT&T and changing my streaming hardware to the Amazon Fire Stick.
I didn’t see a way to edit my post, but I forgot to include another very big factor in my choice in AT&T over Hulu was that Hulu doesn’t include as many channels as AT&T and I discovered that I was missing out on some of my favorite shows such as ‘Better Call Saul’ on the AMC channel. 🙁
Thanks for your review. I have also tried AT&T TV Now when it was called DirecTV Now. I guess that it’s not at the top of my list due to the price, but I’m glad that you’re happy. So much of it comes down to the channel lineup.
Update to above post: AT&T is back on the Roku service again! But now, I’ve become so accustomed to the Fire Stick on all of my TVs that I personally don’t feel a need to use my old Roku devices anymore. I just wanted to let anyone comparing devices or streaming services to know that AT&T is available on both Roku and Fire again.
The same thing happened to me when I moved to Fire TV Stick for a while! I’m actually using Tivo’s new device most often now. Enjoy your streaming.
The best way as a consumer to save money if you are using comcast is to get yourself a wireless router / modem. Call comcast and tell them that you want to use your own modem and give them the MAC and your service will be switched from their $12.00 a month modem to your own, which in 12 months you’ll go ahead and have paid off your modem. Next cancel all their service with the exception of the internet, and you can get that for about $60.00 a month. When you get your modem get yourself an Amazon fire stick or if you have a smart TV you can connect wireless to your router and get streaming videos. Take your cable boxes back to the comcast and save about $7.00 a month per box. Benefits, when you turn off your TV you are not using electricity and increasing your electric bill with comcast boxes. The picture is far sharper than any cable company can ever offer, and as for commercials you don’t waste your time with 17 minutes of commercials on an hour show. You do see some commercials, but at the most 7 minutes. Your wallet will thank you for doing it and cutting the cable.
Comcast does not have any packages for less that around $90. If you want just phone service, that’s the price. If you just want internet service, that’s the price. They have no options because they have a monopoly where I live.
Have you looked into T-Mobile Home Internet? Is that available where you are?
Please do a new review on Comcast. They keep sending me offers to get the free basic peacock streaming service. It requires a free box from them. I am so wary of their bad customer service that I am not comfortable having any equipment owned by them. But it does look interesting so I am trying to find reviews. I do know to photo copy chats and record any interactions with them. I am on a promotional rate now that will expire so I have a feeling a slim package is going to be cheaper when the time comes to renegotiate. There are other internet services here so I should be able to negotiate a better deal. Xfinity is more reliable so I want to keep it. I am now $50 month and it will increase to 79.99 for 200 mb? speed.
Hi Susie. Peacock has a free version that’s available to everyone now, not just Comcast subscribers. If you want to stay with Comcast, I would follow my advice in the article. Find whatever AT&T’s promo deal is, call up Customer Solutions at Comcast and present the offer. Tell them that you’re not comfortable with the upcoming rate increase and see what they can do. Do you have a ton of people in your house? 200 Mbps (I assume that’s what you meant) is pretty fast, but could you get by with 100 Mbps or the tier below? They might offer you that at a lower price if you agree to lock in for another year. Good luck. Let me know what happens.
Update to my post above. AT&T TV Now is available again on Roku. So, you can access with a Roku device or an Amazon Fire stuck. However, if you have a smart TV like most people do these days, you may not need either device for streaming TV services. I am able to add the AT&T app directly to my Samsung TV smart hub now. Also, Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. You need internet service obviously to stream any TV app. I’m pay $64/mo all in for my internet service from Comcast. My AT&T TV including HBO and Starz is about $70. I agree that’s more than I’d like to be paying, but it was better than Hulu… Good luck!
Thanks. I’m glad you found something that works for you. That’s what it’s all about!
I just checked on T-Mobile internet that you suggest. It is the best deal around! $50/mo unlimited!
I like to hook up some more TVs hi why not pay for the rental of their equipment. Is there something that you can buy, so you don’t have to pay rental fees
You can buy your own router and modem as I mention in the article. What other equipment are you talking about?
Just had to re-adjust with Comcast again. Bill started creeping up so I got on the phone with them to get back to the 60 bucks a month basic deal. Next draft was $114. I blew a gasket. So called in, and now they have internet only plans whereas when I first got on with them again a few years ago, the lowest i could get was 25Mbps and 12 channels that I didn’t want nor need. But that was the minimum. So, called about this $114 and she said I was getting 100Mbps (I didn’t want), and she could put me on internet only now, and double it to 200Mbps for the $60 I was used to. At the last minute I asked if that was the cheapest plan. She said well the lowest is 25Mbps for $34 with modem rental, and I said “I’LL TAKE IT!”. She said that wasn’t enough bandwidth and on and so I finally said look, I’m a network engineer going on 20 years, and she said “OH, so you know what these numbers mean”. I told her I know they don’t mean crap lol. Anyways, so bought a modem for 46 bucks and now my bill is $20 a month. I couldn’t be happier. That’s all it’s worth. Thought I would share in case others were not aware of the internet only plans.
Scot
By the way. I bought a modem only. Configured my Raspberry Pi that’s been collecting dust as my router and wireless access point.
Thank you Scot! My article is dated and need updates. I have been hearing from others who are getting that $60 internet-only offer. At the time I wrote this article originally a few years ago, they were doing that internet + local channels thing that you mentioned. Great savings!
I have checked into cancelling cable. But keeping internet. We are getting Firefly in my area soon. With cable internet is $69 with a package. Without cable internet is $89. Planned to change to internet only and and you tube tv live, because I want local news. You tube live is $65 plus $89 is what I’m paying now. If we get Firefly they will two plans. One is $49 the other is $69. I don’t know if the $49 package is good enough or not. I like your idea to start and stop a streaming services to just use them when you need them. I’ll have to keep a schedule. I tried buying a router one didn’t work at all, another worked for about a day and a half. I need to figure something out soon. My package has ended. I don’t want to start another till firefly get here. Which I’m told is about February. And I have been comparing streamin services that include live local tv.
If this is your first time, I like the idea of starting with YouTube TV. It’s the most cable-like. I’m about to publish an article about this in a day or two.
Hey Michael,
Currently I have a modem and wifi router combo (on the xfinity page also says Voice and Data): Model Technicolor CGN4331COM supplied by Xfinity. When I go to the list of devices that work with my internet speed, do I also need to make sure that they are listed as Modem and wifi router…or cable modem and voice? One listed is Netgear CAX 80 (cable modem and wifi router), and another is Arris T75 (cable modem with voice). I’m not sure what I should be looking for. Thank you for your help. I am a senior citizen and have been stalling with making this phone call to Xfinity for weeks…the anxiety is draining. Any help is appreciated.
You want Wi-Fi to be able to stream. So that’s why modem and router is necessary — they’re called gateways. If you don’t use voice, you don’t need a gateway that has that capability.
Any thoughts or recommendations on cable/streaming tv for a business ???? I own a gym with 6 television sets. I’m currently bundled with Comcast business. However, I will be switching over to our local utility company that now has fiber optic service. My internet service with Comcast has always been spotty and they are charging me $530.00 each month for cable, internet and phone service.
Hulu Live and fuboTV have unlimited screens add-ons. There has been talk of a YouTube TV add-on for the same, but so far it’s limited to 3.