Millions of broadband and mobile customers across the UK are being advised to consider abandoning major telecoms providers, including BT, EE, and Vodafone. This urgent call to action comes ahead of significant annual price increases that will add up to an extra £48 to household bills over the next year.
The Scale of the Price Increases
New analysis from the comparison service Uswitch has laid bare the coming hikes. Despite the official inflation rate sitting at 3.2%, many customers will see their telecoms bills surge by a much higher percentage. Providers including BT, EE, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, and Plusnet have all confirmed a monthly increase of £4. This translates to an extra £48 over the course of a contract year.
The rises are not confined to broadband. Mobile customers are also facing steep climbs in their monthly outgoings. EE is increasing handset plan costs by £4 per month and SIM-only plans by £2.50. O2 customers will see a £2.50 monthly rise, while Vodafone is implementing increases of between £1.50 and £2.50. Three is raising bills by up to £2.30, dependent on data usage. Even Sky Mobile is adding another £1.50 to monthly bills.
Fixed Hikes Outpace Inflation
Ernest Doku, a telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, criticised the nature of the increases. He stated that flat-rate 'pounds and pence' rises are often used as a smokescreen for hikes that represent a much larger proportion of the total bill than the current inflation rate. In some cases, bills are set to jump by as much as 13.4%.
"For customers on newer contracts, these fixed jumps will have been clear from the start of the contract," Doku explained. "But the scale of the increases could catch people off guard as they compound every year."
How Consumers Can Fight Back and Save
The primary advice for consumers is to be proactive about their contracts. Doku emphasises that the most critical step is to keep track of your contract end date. Once you are out of contract, you are free to switch providers and reset your billing cycle.
"By moving to a new deal, you can avoid these increases compounding on top of high out-of-contract rates," Doku advised. This simple action can lead to substantial savings. Uswitch estimates that broadband customers can save an average of £203 a year by switching to a new, competitive deal at the end of their minimum term.
The message is clear: with significant price rises imminent from the industry's biggest names, customers are being urged to explore rivals offering 'price freeze' guarantees and better value to avoid being locked into another year of above-inflation increases.
