Just a thought:
If NTL are able to end the free and half price months for new users, due to the more competitively priced services being offered, then new users will be, on average, about £25 worse off albeit getting more overall. If this turns out to be the case then everyone will have paid the £25, directly or indirectly, get my gist.
By the way, just checked..... still on 1.5MB/S upgrade hasn't happend yet