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 three best strategies to save money on Comcast cable and internet service…
How to Save Money on Comcast Cable and Internet Service
- Sign up for a streaming service and downgrade to Limited Basic cable
- Contact the Customer Solutions department to negotiate a lower rate
- Buy a modem and router combo to eliminate monthly equipment fees
1. Sign Up for a Streaming Service and Downgrade to Limited Basic Cable
My Comcast Xfinity bill is $52 for internet and cable TV, but I don’t get hundreds of channels. I have what Comcast calls the “Limited Basic” plan.
For that monthly price, I get 60 Mbps internet service, local broadcast stations and HBO included.
I called Comcast to see if I could drop the local broadcast stations and lower my price, but they said it’s actually cheaper to bundle internet service and the Limited Basic plan.
To get the cable networks that I really like, I pay around $50 a month or less for a live TV streaming service.
Hulu’s Live TV Streaming Service Is My Favorite
I’ve tested all of the major options over the last two years: YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, Sling TV, and Philo.
My favorite is Hulu + Live TV. Here’s why:
- Great mix of news, sports and entertainment networks
- Compatible with Roku Express and many other streaming media players
- Access to Hulu’s entire on-demand streaming library
- 50 hours of cloud DVR included
Not long ago, Hulu made some pretty significant improvements to its interface. It now features a live TV guide that lets you preview programming up to two weeks in advance.
I made the video below to show you how to navigate Hulu + Live TV using a Roku device such as the Roku Express:
Other Live TV Streaming Options
Hulu with Live TV won’t be the best streaming TV service for everyone. But Hulu and the other services all have free trials, typically for a week. Why not try them all until you find a favorite?
I’ve provided my key takeaways below and links to where you can sign up for the free trials:
- YouTube TV: The best streaming plan for sports fans, but it’s now up to $65 a month. (Learn more here)
- Hulu + Live TV: Great mix of news, sports and entertainment networks, plus access to Hulu’s on-demand streaming service. (Learn more here)
- Sling TV: Its 30-channel Sling Orange package is $30 a month and the cheapest way to get ESPN and some other popular cable TV networks. (Learn more here)
- Philo: If you don’t care about sports, you can stream lots of entertainment networks starting at just $20 a month. (Learn more here)
Most of the streaming services require you to enter credit card information to sign up for a free trial. If you don’t plan to become a paying subscriber, just cancel before the trial period is up.
My advice: Take advantage of the free trials before you call Comcast to change your current plan.
2. Contact Comcast’s Customer Solutions Department to Negotiate a Lower Rate
The $52 that I pay Comcast every month is actually a 12-month promotional rate, so I call up Xfinity’s retention department every year to negotiate a lower rate.
Comcast calls its retention department Customer Solutions, so ask for that by name when you call.
I’ve successfully negotiated with Comcast and other internet service providers over the years by following the same simple steps. Here’s what to do:
- Find a better offer from a competitor: If you have Comcast, go to AT&T’s website and see if they have a promo rate that’s lower than what you’re paying.
- Call Comcast’s retention department: The phone number for Comcast customer service is 1-800-XFINITY or 1-800-934-6489. Ask to speak to the Customer Solutions 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.
Over the past year or so, there have been media reports that indicate it’s getting harder to take advantage of these promotional rates year after year.
So in addition to negotiating with Comcast myself, I’ve used Ask Trim. This is a service that will contact Comcast on your behalf to lower your bill, but it charges 33% of the estimated yearly savings. For that reason, I think it’s best to contact Comcast on your own first.
3. Buy a Modem and Router Combo to Eliminate Monthly Equipment Fees
When Comcast increased the monthly equipment fee from $11 to $13 (it’s now $14) for the Xfinity wireless gateway that I use to connect to the internet, I decided to finally do something about it.
You can buy your own modem and router combo from a list of approved devices on Xfinity’s website.
Log in to your account and review Comcast’s list to see which wireless gateways you can purchase and use instead of the Xfinity device that you’re currently renting.
I bought the Motorola MG7315 modem and router for less than $100 on Amazon.com.
If the Motorola MG7315 is compatible with your Xfinity internet service, I recommend it because it’s one of the cheapest options and it only took about 15 minutes to set up.
After purchasing the Motorola gateway, I saved more than $150 a year in equipment fees from Xfinity.
How to Install the Motorola MG7315 Modem and Router
I have step-by-step instructions in the video above, but here’s a brief overview of the installation process for the modem and router combo that I bought:
- Unplug your Xfinity gateway and disconnect coaxial cable
- Connect the cable to the new Motorola gateway, plug it into the wall and turn it on
- Contact Comcast at 1-855-652-3446 and have the following information ready for the customer service representative to finish the process on their end:
- Xfinity account number
- Make and model of the new gateway (printed on the bottom of the gateway)
- New gateway’s serial number and MAC address (printed on the bottom of the gateway)
- Open up the Wi-Fi settings on your computer or another device and enter the network name (SSID) and password (printed on the bottom of the gateway)
After your new wireless gateway is up and running, the final step is to return your Comcast modem and router to an Xfinity Store so that you won’t continue to be billed for it.
Bonus Tip! Consider Xfinity Mobile
If you’re generally happy with your Comcast service, you may want to check out Xfinity Mobile.
Available only to Xfinity internet customers, the cell phone service uses Verizon’s network and is surprisingly affordable. New 5G data plans (May 2020) start at $15 for 1 GB or $45 a month for unlimited.
I switched to Xfinity Mobile when it first launched. After my first 12 months, I paid a total of $180 for cell phone service — that’s only $15 a month.
To learn more, here’s my review and 9 things to know before you sign up for Xfinity Mobile.
Final Thought
I hope that you’ll be able to take the information from this article and use it to save money on your Comcast cable and internet service.
Even if you only follow one of my tips, you’ll be paying less than you are right now!
If you have any other strategies to lower what you pay for cable and internet service, I’d love to hear about them. Leave a comment below or on my Facebook page!
More Michael Saves Stories You May Like:
- Xfinity Mobile Review: 9 Things to Know Before You Sign Up
- Xfinity Mobile vs. Visible: Which Cell Phone Service Is Best?
- Visible by Verizon Wireless Review: 9 Things to Know Before You Sign Up
- Hulu With Live TV on Roku: 7 Things to Know Before You Sign Up
- Sling TV vs. Philo: Which Live TV Streaming Service Is Best?
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.
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!