One in five TV subscribers have a contract for digital TV, but want it to end, a Freesat study reveals.

Of the 2, 000 UK adults questioned, 65 per cent said they were getting more cautious of spending their money on TV packages.

The research further revealed that people who aren't already subscribed for a TV contract regard it six times more important to pay for a broadband connection than for a TV deal.

Freesat suggests that the reason for this wariness among users stems from staying in a TV contract, which they don't really want anymore.

In order to cut down on their spending, subscribers are advised to make some New Year reassessment of where their money goes and to sign up for monthly contracts, which might be more suitable to their needs.

The free-to-view digital TV service further calculates that the total cost for a 5-year TV subscription with Sky or Virgin Media will cost over £1000.

In comparison, signing up for Freesat's subscription-free TV service will presumably be worth only £115 for life, which covers a satellite dish installation and a basic set-top box.

For users who do not want to be tied up to a monthly contract, they can subscribe to Freeview, which also offers a digital TV service, requiring a one-off payment for a Freeview set-top box.

The research was carried out in September 2010.