Broadband advice

[susannahf]

Yes, I know, *everybody* posts for advice about broadband eventually.

Here's my story:
I've moved into a house with NTL cable phone & broadband.  We have to decide whether to stay or switch (for the next 12 months), by the middle of the month.  Which is a bit poor if you ask me, but there you go.
Anyway, lack of time and general apathy mean that we will stay with NTL unless I come up with a viable alternative in the next few *days*.  Eep.

We currently have unlimited download, at (I'm guessing, but pretty sure) 1M.  For which we will be paying £8.99 for three months and £17.99 for the rest of the year.  To NTHell.  In order to persuade a switch, I need to find:

• a way to get a BT line without having to pay enormous engineer fees (might be impossible, probably impossible to tell whether it's possible or not.  Yay. Good start.)
• an unlimited ADSL package with no connection fee, unlimited download, and preferably < £17.99 a month (or at least not too much more)

This sucks.

Options so far:

1. Stay with NTL.  They had no major problems last year, but I've had bad experiences in the past, and so have many, many others.
2. AOL.  Unlimited package for £14.99 per month.  But apparently they're pants.
3. Tiscali. Unlimited.  £14.99 per month.  I have personal issues with them from my dial-up days, but they may be OK for broadband.  Anybody got any experience here?
4. Demon.  Unlimited £19.99 per month.  More expensive than the others but generally considers to be less evil than some other providers (see above)
5. Bulldog.  Unlimited £19.50 per month.  And apparently their customer service sucks.  So maybe not then.

Gah.  I hate this sort of thing.  I'm prepared to pay extra for quality, but I have to take 3 other people into account, whose choices are probably based more on headline numbers and apathy.  I therefore turn to the LJ hivemind for help.  Don't let me down guys...