Millions of TalkTalk broadband customers are set to see their annual bills rise by £48 as the provider introduces a significant mid-contract price increase.
Who Will Be Affected by the Increase?
The change will impact new customers and those re-negotiating their contracts. Customers who joined or re-contracted on or after November 16 will see their monthly bill increase by £4 starting next April. This adds up to an extra £48 over the course of a year.
For customers who signed up between August 12, 2024, and November 16, 2025, the increase will be slightly lower at £3 per month. Importantly, customers currently in the middle of their contracts will not be affected by this change.
Industry Expert Weighs In
Broadband expert Sebastien Lahtinen, director at Thinkbroadband, commented on the development. "Price increases are never welcome news for consumers," he said, noting that TalkTalk is following other providers in raising its annual increase from £3 to £4 per month.
He highlighted a significant shift in how providers implement price rises: "Since the move from inflation-linked price increases to 'pounds and pence' we have seen the lower-end packages have much higher increases in percentage terms, leaving consumers worse off than before the rules were changed."
Lahtinen added that while customers now know exactly how much their costs will rise each April, the fixed amount often results in higher overall increases compared to the previous inflation-linked model.
New Regulatory Framework
This change comes following new Ofcom regulations that came into effect at the start of 2025. The telecoms regulator now requires providers to set out mid-contract price hikes "clearly and up-front, in pounds and pence, when a customer signs up."
This marks a departure from the previous system that used percentage increases linked to inflation rates, which often made it difficult for consumers to predict exactly how much their bills would rise.
A TalkTalk spokesperson explained the reasoning behind the increase: "We're changing our price rise terms for new and re-contracting customers only, to help us carry on investing in our services."
The expert advice for consumers remains clear: shopping around when your contract ends will secure the best deals, according to Lahtinen, who emphasised this as the most effective way to combat rising broadband costs.
