Broadband customers are to be hit by price increases of up to 17.3 percent from the start of next month but millions of Britons could avoid the price hike if they take action now. Uswitch.com is calling on all broadband and mobile customers to check if they are out of contract and can switch to a new deal.
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said millions of people may be able to protect themselves from the price hikes, which are based on the rate of inflation plus an additional percentage.
He explained: “Millions of consumers are currently out of contract, and therefore can still shield themselves from the brunt of these inflation-busting increases.
“Not only could you switch to a faster and more reliable product, but also pay less per month – although future price rises may still apply from 2024 in many cases.
“Some providers have also gone one step further and committed to no mid-contract price increases at all.
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“So it’s essential to check both when your contract ends, as well as current speeds and suppliers available in your area.”
Tesco Mobile has confirmed if a customer’s mobile contract ended before February 1, 2023, their price will rise in April.
But a person could avoid the bills increase by upgrading to any Tesco Mobile plan before March 27, or to a Clubcard Price plan on or after March 27.
Out-of-contract customers with BT, Vodafone, TalkTalk and Shell may also want to look at getting a deal, as these groups confirmed to Uswitch that customers signing up for broadband packages in March won’t be impacted by April price rises.
Mr Doku encouraged people to haggle with their current provider to see if they can get a good deal.
He said: “If you’re looking to stick with your current provider, you could perform a comparison site search to arm yourself with the latest deals and pricing, and take that information back to your current provider to haggle for a better deal.
“There’s often room for negotiation – and significant potential savings – if you’re happy with their service.”
He also said customers who are mid-contract may want to check if they are eligible to switch and if there are any charges for this.
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People on certain benefits such as Universal Credit may be able to get social tariffs, with discounted rates.
Providers such as EE, Virgin and Vodafone offer social tariff broadband deals from £12 with no set-up fees, and no mid-contract price increase.
For mobile customers unhappy with their mid-contract increases, Mr Doku recommended using this time to look for a better deal, but to be wary of longer deals as future mid-contract increases may still apply.
He also urged mobile users to think about their mobile data usage as many Britons currently overpay for this.
A person can find out how much it would cost to leave their current contract by texting INFO to 85075.
Those who are out of contract may want to try SIM only deals as people in this situation can save up to £321 a year by moving to SIM-only deal.
Many other household bills are also increasing next month including energy bills, water bills and council tax.
Energy bills for many homes in England, Scotland and Wales are increasing by £67 a month as the instalments from the £400 energy bills discount end this month.
