Consumer champion Martin Lewis has issued an urgent call to action for mobile phone users across the UK, revealing a simple five-digit code hack to combat unexpected mid-contract price increases.
The Price Hike Problem
Major networks are exploiting a regulatory loophole, leading to bills rising higher than customers were initially promised. O2 was the first to announce such an increase, prompting Martin Lewis to urge customers to leave the provider. This was swiftly followed by Vodafone-Three, which confirmed it would also be implementing higher mid-contract price rises for new customers signing up from November 9, 2025.
For example, Vodafone-Three customers with 4GB of data who took out a contract after this date will now see a £1.80 mid-contract increase, up from the previous £1. Those on larger data plans face a £1.90 rise.
How to Fight Back and Leave Your Contract
Thanks to new Ofcom rules introduced in early 2025, providers must be transparent about price rises. Crucially, if they introduce an increase that wasn't clearly stated at the start of your contract, you have a 30-day window to leave penalty-free.
Martin Lewis explained the simple exit strategy on his ITV show and podcast: "The last step in the process once you know where you want to shift your mobile phone custom to is to text PAC to 65075." This free text message requests your Porting Authorisation Code, which allows you to transfer your existing number to a new provider.
He also highlighted a cheeky bonus for those out of contract: "Often when you do this... your existing provider will say, please don't go and will often include in that an offer to keep you. It's virtually a way of haggling."
Finding a Better Deal
Lewis advises customers not to just accept the hikes. He recommends taking a stand: "When companies behave like this... we need to give them a corporate bloody nose... to prevent them doing it again."
To find a cheaper alternative, he suggests using whole-of-market price comparison websites, like his own Money Saving Expert site. A key tip is to look for virtual networks that use the same signals as the big four (Vodafone, Three, O2, and EE) but at a lower cost. Providers such as Smarty (which uses Three's network) and Tesco Mobile (using O2's network) can offer the same service for less.
An O2 spokesperson defended the increases, stating they are necessary to fund a £700 million annual investment in their network and that the price change is equivalent to 8p per day. They emphasised that customers were notified and given the right to exit without penalty.
