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Budget Openreach ISP with landline focus

Direct Save Telecom UK

A smaller Watford-based ISP that has been selling cheap home phone and broadband bundles since 1999. Direct Save Telecom runs on the same Openreach copper and FTTC network as the big names, but skips Full Fibre, mobile and TV to keep prices low and the bill simple. This page covers current deals, contact lines and what real customers actually say in 2026.

See Direct Save deals 0800 0 30 60 90

At a glance

Founded 1999, Watford HQ Smaller, budget-focused UK ISP Runs on the Openreach network Landline + broadband, no mobile/TV

Founded

1999

Years on the UK market

Customer base

Smaller

Niche budget ISP, not top-10

Top FTTC speed

~67 Mbps

Fibre to the cabinet (Openreach)

Trustpilot

3.6 / 5

~9,500 reviews, May 2026

About

Who is Direct Save Telecom?

Direct Save Telecom Ltd was founded in 1999 and operates from Direct Save House on Tolpits Lane in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is a privately held, independent UK telecoms reseller that buys wholesale access from Openreach (the BT-owned network division) and sells it on as branded ADSL and FTTC broadband bundled with a home phone line.

The brand has built its name almost entirely through print advertising and local press, particularly in titles read by older audiences. The product range stays deliberately narrow: broadband, landline, business broadband, a free Loyalty Discount Club. There is no Direct Save mobile network, no Full Fibre (FTTP) product and no in-house TV platform. TV is offered only through a partnership with Netgem TV.

Direct Save is regulated by Ofcom and unresolved complaints can be escalated to the Communications Ombudsman after eight weeks (or sooner with a deadlock letter).

Current deals

Direct Save broadband deals available now

Headline prices verified on . Direct Save changes its homepage promo every few weeks, so we link straight to the live page on directsavetelecom.co.uk for the exact price at the moment you click.

Cheapest entry tier

Entry ADSL

Direct Save Broadband

Download

11 Mbps

Average download

Upload

1 Mbps

Average

£21.95 /month

12 months . £8.95 router P&P

  • Unlimited usage
  • Free wireless router
  • UK customer service

Best for

A 1 to 2-person household with light browsing and email needs

See on Direct Save

FTTC fibre

Fibre Broadband 35

Download

35 Mbps

Average download

Upload

8 Mbps

Average

£29.95 /month

12 months . £8.95 router P&P

  • Unlimited usage
  • Free wireless router
  • UK customer service

Best for

A 2 to 3-person household streaming SD/HD on one or two devices

See on Direct Save
Top FTTC tier available

FTTC top tier

Fibre Broadband 63

Download

63 Mbps

Average download

Upload

15 Mbps

Average

£34.95 /month

12 months . £8.95 router P&P

  • Unlimited usage
  • Free wireless router
  • 24/7 UK fault support

Best for

A small household that wants the fastest non-fibre-to-the-home plan on a budget

See on Direct Save

No-contract option

Broadband No Contract

Download

11 Mbps

Average download

Upload

1 Mbps

Average

£27.95 /month

Rolling monthly . £24.95 set-up

  • No tie-in
  • Unlimited usage
  • Cancel any month

Best for

Renters, short-term lets and customers who refuse 12 or 24-month tie-ins

See on Direct Save

Selectra is independent. Direct Save Telecom does not pay us to feature any of these tariffs. We list its public deals so you can compare them like-for-like with other Openreach-based ISPs.

Explore

What Direct Save actually sells

A short, focused product range. Below is each product line and what it really is in 2026, with a link to the deep-dive section.

Broadband

Standard ADSL and Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) over the Openreach network. No Full Fibre to the home, no superfast (1 Gbps) tiers. Plans top out at around 63 Mbps average.

Open page

Home phone (landline)

Three call plans bundled with broadband: pay-as-you-use (free), evening and weekend (£3/month) and anytime (£5/month). Free 60-minute calls cap, redial after the hour.

Open page

Business broadband

A separate B2B range (Teleworker, Business 20, Business Unlimited) with static IPs and an 0800 help desk. 24-month minimum term and £1 per GB excess charges on capped plans.

Open page

Contact Direct Save

Single freephone line 0800 0 30 60 90 for sales, technical support and customer service, with separate IVR options. Full directory, postal address and complaints process on the contact page.

Open page

Customer reviews

Trustpilot averages around 3.6 / 5 across roughly 9,500 reviews. Praise focuses on cheap deals and friendly UK call centre, complaints on price rises and dated brand experience.

Open page

Loyalty Discount Club

A money-off shopping scheme bundled free for the first year, then £9.95 a year. Adds discounts on insurance, groceries and high-street vouchers. Optional and easy to ignore.

Open page

Reviews snapshot

What customers actually say about Direct Save

Scores collected on . Direct Save is too small to appear in Ofcom’s quarterly tables, so we triangulate from Trustpilot, Reviews.io and consumer forums. We do not cherry-pick the flattering source and ignore the rest.

Trustpilot

3.6 / 5

~9,500 reviews

Positive overall

Direct Save’s Trustpilot pool is dominated by older customers who praise low prices, simple bills and the fact that the call-centre agent is in the UK and picks up quickly. Recurring negatives: the contract auto-rolls to a higher price, no clean online cancellation and a dated website.

Reviews.io

3.4 / 5

~500 reviews

Mixed

A smaller pool but broadly the same picture as Trustpilot. Praise for friendly UK staff, complaints about end-of-contract price hikes and slow refunds. Use as a sanity check, not as a primary score.

Ofcom complaints

Not listed too small for table

Below threshold

Mixed

Ofcom only reports complaint volumes for ISPs above ~150,000 customers (BT, Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk, Plusnet, Vodafone, EE, Now). Direct Save is below that threshold and so does not appear in the quarterly league tables, neither well nor badly.

Forums (MSE, Reddit r/BritishProblems)

Mixed forum sentiment

Dozens of threads

Mixed

The dominant forum view is that Direct Save is a credible budget choice for older relatives who want a landline and basic broadband on one bill, but not the right pick for anyone who needs Full Fibre, fast support apps or modern self-service.

Read the full Direct Save review

Selectra expert verdict

Independent read, no commission shaping

Direct Save Telecom occupies a very specific corner of the UK broadband market. It is the right pick if your priorities are, in this order: a low monthly price, a UK call centre that picks up quickly, a simple bill that pairs a landline with basic ADSL or FTTC broadband, and nothing else cluttering it up. That makes it a credible choice for older customers, customers in FTTP not-spots who only have the copper or cabinet line available, and anyone setting up an elderly relative on a fuss-free home phone and internet bundle.

It is the wrong pick for almost everyone else. There is no Full Fibre (FTTP) option, no gigabit tier, no mobile network, no in-house TV product, no real customer app and the website still pushes a callback rather than a one-click cancellation. The post-contract price hike is real (around £4 a month) and the only way to renegotiate is on the phone. If you can already get Full Fibre at your postcode, providers like Plusnet or smaller alt-nets will give you a faster, more modern line for similar money.

Verdict last reviewed 19 May 2026.

FAQ

Direct Save Telecom, your questions answered

Is Direct Save Telecom a good broadband provider in 2026?

For a very specific audience, yes. Direct Save Telecom is one of the cheaper Openreach-based ISPs for a basic ADSL or FTTC line bundled with a home phone, and the UK call centre is rated friendly and quick to pick up on Trustpilot. It is the wrong choice if you need Full Fibre (FTTP), if you want modern self-service through an app, or if you watch a lot of 4K. There is no fibre-to-the-home option and no in-house TV product.

How much is Direct Save broadband per month?

As of May 2026, Direct Save’s entry ADSL broadband starts around £21.95 a month on a 12-month contract, FTTC 35 Mbps fibre is around £29.95 a month and the fastest FTTC 63 Mbps tier is around £34.95 a month. Add £8.95 router postage at sign-up. After the 12-month minimum term, prices automatically roll up by around £4 a month, so set a calendar reminder to call and renegotiate.

What is the Direct Save Telecom phone number?

The main Direct Save Telecom contact number is 0800 0 30 60 90, freephone from a UK landline. The same number reaches sales (option 1, 9am to 8pm weekdays), technical support (option 2, 8am to 8pm weekdays, 9am to 5pm weekends) and customer service / billing (option 3, same hours as tech support). Full directory and the complaints process are on our Direct Save contact page.

Does Direct Save offer Full Fibre or 1 Gbps broadband?

No. In May 2026, Direct Save’s broadband range tops out at around 63 Mbps average download on a Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) line. There is no Full Fibre to the Home (FTTP) product and no gigabit option. If you want gigabit speeds on the same Openreach network, you need BT, Plusnet, Sky, Vodafone, EE or a smaller alt-net.

Can I leave Direct Save Telecom without a fee?

Yes, in two situations. First, in the last 30 days of your 12-month or 24-month minimum term, you can switch penalty-free. Second, if Direct Save raises your price mid-contract by more than the fixed amount written into your contract, Ofcom rules give you a 30-day window to leave without an exit fee. Outside those windows, you owe the remaining monthly fees on your contract.

Is Direct Save Telecom suitable for older customers?

This is one of the audiences Direct Save is best built for. The advertising is heavy in print and local press, the bill is short and clear, the call centre is in the UK, the bundle stays simple (broadband + landline only, no mobile, no TV add-ons to navigate). The trade-off is the dated brand, the lack of a customer app and the manual phone-only cancellation process. For anyone happy on the phone and not chasing fibre-to-the-home speeds, it is a credible pick.