Charter Communications is one of the largest cable television providers in the United States. If you are a Charter cable customer, you have a number of options for reducing your monthly cable bill.
Cut Back on Services
The most direct route to a lower Charter cable bill is to review your bill and remove services you are no longer using. Many cable customers pay for extended packages that include hundreds or thousands of channels even though they only consistently watch a few favorites. Similarly, you may be paying for premium movie channels even though those networks have long since discontinued your favorite series. Because each channel can cost $10 or more per month, you can quickly lower your Charter bill by removing unnecessary services.
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Tip
If you absolutely must have premium channels, consider an Internet service that provides your favorite channels outside the Charter network. A number of companies, including Apple, Google and Roku, offer such services.
Bundle Your Services
You might be able to lower your Charter cable bill by converting your existing services into a bundle. Telecom companies have offered discounts for bundled services since the late 1990s, and companies like Charter frequently change their bundled offerings. Even if the services you subscribe to were not available in a discounted bundle several months ago, the company may be able to bundle your services now. In some cases, you might even be able to add more services like digital phone service or faster Internet service to achieve a bundle discount with the net effect of a lower bill.
Ask for an Account Review
In some cases, you can lower your Charter cable bill simply by calling the company and asking for assistance lowering your monthly cost. Charter Communications lost an industry-leading 121,000 subscribers in 2013, according to a 2014 report from KUSA News. To keep customers from defecting, the company will sometimes make concessions. Charter call center agents will review your account with you and offer suggestions, bundles and other promotions that can help lower your monthly bill.
Tip
You can reach Charter customer service at 1-888-438-2427.
Request Cancellation
Charter Communications employs a special customer retention group specifically tasked with offering discounts and specials to retain customers on the verge of canceling their accounts. The agents in this group, known inside the company as retention representatives, are empowered to extend special discounts that other customer service agents can't offer. If you have been unable to reduce your Charter cable bill through other methods, you may be able to receive a special promotional discount from the retention representative.
Warning
If you ask to cancel your account with Charter, it is possible that an agent may honor your cancellation without connecting you with the Retention department unless you make a specific request to speak with them.