I have been a Charter Communications customer for over five years now, ever since I moved to this part of Atlanta to take the law clerk position that I have talked so much about in this blog. I started out just having Charter's cable and Internet services, but recently I upgraded to Charter's VoIP telephone service as well. On my current budget, what I was paying for phone service with AT&T was ridiculous, especially considering that I pretty much don't call anyone but my mom. My local and long distance services together were somewhere in the $60 to $70 range, and that amount was before AT&T tacked on taxes, e911, and FCC charges. With Charter, because I bundle my three services, I am able to get a packaged deal. I now only pay $29.99 a month for phone service after the bundle discount, a significant savings over what I was paying for AT&T local and long distance.Although I have experienced a few blimps with my VoIP service, blimps that have more to do with the builder taking a few short cuts when wiring my house than with Charter, I have enjoyed having Charter telephone. I can hear a lot better on the phone, and I have been told that others can hear me a lot better as well. I cannot complain about my Charter cable and Internet services either. I have a great Internet speed, 5Mbps, which is more than enough for someone like me who just blogs, shops, and surfs the web. However, should I ever become a heavy gamer--hey, it could happen in my old age--Charter offers even faster speeds, 10 and 16 Mbps.
As far as cable goes, I love Charter's On Demand service. If there is nothing on TV, I can find something to watch on On Demand for free. When you subscribe to a premium channel with Charter, you get the corresponding premium On Demand channel at no extra cost. These On Demand channels offer more than just movies; they offer premium TV shows as well. Therefore, if you are not going to be home the next time Dexter airs, you don't have to worry about setting your VCR or DVR in advance. You can simply watch your favorite serial killer at your own convenience "on demand." I actually watched the first two seasons of Dexter in a three-day, On Demand marathon. Now I'm addicted.
Even if you do not subscribe to a premium channel like Showtime, Charter has many free, cable-related On Demand channels to choose from, including TNT, A&E, Comedy Central, and the various Discovery Networks, as well as On Demand Pay Per View. Consequently, you can rent all the new Hollywood releases from the comfort of your own home and save the money that you would have otherwise spent on gas driving to the video store, all at the same time.
If you are like me and are looking for ways to save both money and gas, you should give Charter services a try. Right now Charter is sponsoring the Save Green, Go Green Sweepstakes at its web site, www.charter.com. When you order a new Charter service, you are automatically entered into a drawing for a 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid. The Civic Hybrid has a polished metal metallic exterior, a fabric interior, a MP3 jack, cruise control, a continuously variable transmission, a 160-watt sound system, power windows and locks, and many more great features that put my hunk of junk to shame. Of course, the best part about the Civic Hybrid is its gas mileage--up to 45 miles per gallon on the highway. Anyone who was affected by the recent, hurricane-related gas shortage and the spike in prices for the little gas that remained can appreciate those numbers. I know I can. My Camaro gets 29 miles per gallon on the highway on a good day so I would love to have a Civic Hybrid.
As part of the Save Green, Go Green Sweepstakes, Charter is also offering the following bundled deals on its services. You can get Charter telephone, cable, and high-speed Internet for just $99.97 a month for twelve months; Charter digital home and high-speed Internet for $74.98 a month for six months; or Charter high-speed Internet for $24.99 a month for six months. Thus, if you place an order for one or more Charter services today, you can save two types of green--money and the environment. If you live in an area like Atlanta that is serviced by Charter Communications, you should definitely give their services a try.
