About 12,650 people a month look for a way to lower an Xfinity bill. Most of the advice they find is vague. This is the specific version: the charges by name, what each one costs a year, and what to say on the phone.

The charges that are not taxes

• Broadcast TV Fee — $25 to $27 a month, about $300 to $327 a year.
• Regional Sports Network Fee — $11.50 to $19.20 a month, about $138 to $230 a year.
• xFi Gateway rental — $15 a month, or $25 for xFi Complete.
• TV box — $12 a month for each extra box.

None of those is a government charge. Comcast sets each amount and Comcast keeps it. They sit outside the advertised package price, which is why the bill is always higher than the number you were quoted.

Why the bill went up when nothing changed

A promotional price protects the price of the service. Comcast’s own bill-changes page says taxes, fees and equipment charges may still rise during that period.

So a rise in the middle of a locked-in deal is allowed by their own terms. Calling to say they broke the agreement will not work, because they did not.

What does work is asking what is available now.

The call

Ask for retention. Not billing, not customer service. The first person who answers cannot approve a discount and retention can.

Say you are looking at what you are paying and deciding whether to keep the service. Then stop talking and let them make an offer.

Have your account number and the last bill in front of you, and write down the date, the name of who you spoke to, and the confirmation number. Without those the next step is much weaker.

If they say no

A no on the phone is the first step, not the end.

Ask for a supervisor, then end the call politely. Then file an FCC informal complaint, which is free, takes about fifteen minutes and goes to a team that handles regulators rather than the call centre. The provider has thirty days to respond in writing.

Most people stop at the first no. That is the whole reason the first no works.

Questions people ask

How do I lower my Comcast bill?

Ask for the retention department, not billing. Name the specific charges on your bill, say you are deciding whether to keep the service, and let them make an offer. Write down the date, the agent name and the confirmation number.

What is the Broadcast TV Fee on my Xfinity bill?

A charge Comcast adds to cover what local stations bill them. It runs $25 to $27 a month, about $300 a year, and it is not a tax.

Can Comcast raise my bill during a promotion?

Yes. Their own terms say a promotional price protects the service price, while taxes, fees and equipment charges may still rise.

What if Xfinity says no?

Ask for a supervisor, then end the call politely. An FCC informal complaint is free, takes about fifteen minutes, and the provider has thirty days to respond in writing.