Ridiculously high monthly usage!

[#1]

Hello,
I have just started my 10GB internet package with PlusNet. I have only had my internet active since the weekend of the 12th/13th. I have just checked our monthly usage and we have apparently used 7.41GB in the space of a few days!!! this can't be right.
I then looked at the breakdown and 53% of that 7.41GB is streaming. so 3.93GB of streaming?! i didnt know that was possible. the only streaming i can think of would include using youtube in the evenings to watch a few funny clips or watching longer (20mins~) on vimeo or dailymotion.
please help!
FYI: 1.7GB has been used on 'web' browsing ( that sounds quite high for a few days of internet? my flatmates just browse facebook and i dont download any large files.). Gaming has used 370mb.

[#2]

We use between 5 and 20Gb a day half of which is usually streaming

[#3]

Hi there,
It is actually quite easy to accrue that much usage from streaming even over the course of a few days. I'm wondering if you've been streaming the videos in HD as that can quickly push up the amount of bandwidth being used.
Being completely honest those figures you've mentioned don't seem to be unreasonable. Don't worry I'm not trying to do the hard sell and try to get you to upgrade but I'm wondering if you're aware that usage is free between midnight and 8am (I understand a lot of people might not be able to make the best use of that due to the hours they keep). But I would definitely check the quality of the videos you're viewing and see if altering your habits a little makes a difference to the usage recorded

[#4]

We never watch anything in HD because of the router's poor signal strength. so with that in mind, how large is a 20 minute youtube clip watched in 320p? 10MB? more?!
I understand that after midnight its free so I best use that advantage more  but still! good to see gaming isnt that high.

[#5]

20 minute standard definition clip is probably 2-300Mb (at a rough guess)
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/faq/sections/beginners.html#63 Has some good guidelines.
You can also install a local monitor such as the one from ThinkBroadband or Networx

[#6]

wow 200mb for a 20min standard def video? my eyes have been opened  how much more is the unlimited plan per month?
thanks for the replies guys

[#7]

You can find out by stepping through the upgrade process here https://portal.plus.net/apps/account/change/4352596/Broadband

[#8]

Have you considered upgrading to the Unlimited package?  It isn't that much more expensive and it might save a lot of hassle.

[#9]

well im paying £3 for broadband atm but unlimited looks like £9.99 a month! unless the 1/2 price deal is in effect it'd be £4.99 which i'd willingly upgrade to.
dick:quote

[#10]

I'm certain we can move the discounts over for you on to unlimited, want me to sort that out for you? FYI any account changes have to be scheduled for the next billing date which in your case is 7/2/13.

[#11]

Hi Adam, are you able to do it tomorrow? I need to go home and make sure it's ok with my flatmates first.
So the unlimited plan would start from 7/2/12 rather than this month am I correct? And it wouldn't be a 'new' contract but instead just fill in the remainder of my current one? thanks for the help
dick:quote

[#12]

If you don't set extra usage cost to zero it is going to cost you a bomb

[#13]

Just the mention of "flatmates" makes me think that Unlimited is the right package for you.

[#14]

lol. when i signed up i heard '10GB' and i thought 'well we're NEVER going to download more than 10GB a month'. I never knew streaming counted so much towards the allowance you see.
I always presumed streamed videos were held on their own big servers and I never actually downloaded anything. how wrong i was!
dick:quote

[#15]

Quote

Hi Adam, are you able to do it tomorrow?

No, sorry. That's why I mentioned we'd need to schedule it for the next billing date. I'll get that scheduled now for you though.
As Jim says it would be wise to apply a usage cap via the member centre to avoid extra costs in the meantime.