Use our tool to beat mobile and broadband bill rises in April and you could save up to £181

OVER 40 million mobile and broadband customers are set to face price hikes this April, despite having the option to avoid them entirely.

According to Uswitch, these increases are estimated to collectively cost customers an additional £75million per month, starting from April 1.

For broadband users on inflation-linked contracts, the April price hikes are expected to add an average of £21.99 per year.

Meanwhile, those on newer 'pounds and pence' plans - where fixed price rises are determined by the provider at the start of the contract - could see costs increase by as much as £42 annually.

Ofcom's latest regulations mandate that telecom companies must now display mid-contract price increases in clear pounds and pence, replacing the previous system of linking price rises to inflation.

However, whether your bill increases in fixed amounts or in line with inflation depends on the date you originally signed your contract.

Read more in money

TUCK IN

US fast food chain that’s ‘better than McDonald’s’ confirms UK launch date

DRIVE ON

Major update issued on car finance mis-selling scandal as key court date set

For example, Vodafone mobile customers who signed up for a new contract on or after July 2, 2024 will see their bills rise by £1.80 per month.

Whereas, those who signed up before July 2 will still see their bill rise by December's Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation figure (2.5%) plus an additional 3.9%.

However, there's an easy way to sidestep these price hikes entirely -switch to a new provider if you're out of contract.

Uswitch's analysis of Ofcom data reveals that over nine million households are out of contract on their broadband deals, while a further 33 million are out of contract on their mobile plans.

Most read in Money

SNACK ATTACK

Discontinued Walkers crisps to RETURN to shelves across the UK in just days

BILL BLOW

Five crucial heat loss spots to fix NOW that could be adding to your energy bills

MONEY FOR NOTHING

Millions of customers of major bank to get FREE cash in weeks

WHICH BUTTER'S BETTER?

I tried all the supermarket butters - creamy winner was cheapest

By switching to a new broadband or mobile provider now, customers can secure a better deal and completely sidestep this year's price hikes entirely.

Sabrina Hoque, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said: "For the millions of mobile and broadband customers currently out of contract, now is the time to act before the April price increases kick in. 

"If you don't know when your contract ends, you can usually find this information on your bill.

"It only takes a minute or two to check, and it could end up saving you a significant amount in the long run.

"Our data shows that switching to a new broadband deal after your initial contract has ended could save you £181 a year."

Mobile customers can check if they’re out of contract by texting "INFO" followed by their date of birth in the format DDMMYY to 85075.

You'll receive a text message confirming whether or not you would incur an "early termination fee".

These fees are only applied to customers who are still within their contract period.

If no early termination fee is mentioned, you can safely assume you're out of contract.

CUT YOUR COSTS

If you are out of contract there's a few things to consider to ensure you cut your bill.

Firstly, use comparison sites to familiarise yourself with what deals are available.

It's a known fact that new customers always get the best deals.

Sites like MoneySuperMarket and Uswitch all help you customise your search based on price, allowances and provider.

This should make it easier to decide whether to renew your contract or move to another provider.

However, if you don't want to switch and are happy with the service you're getting under your current provider - haggle for a better deal.

You can still make significant savings by renewing your contract rather than staying on your current tariff.

If you need to speak to a company on the phone, be sure to catch them at the right time.

Make some time to negotiate with your provider in the morning.

This way, you have a better chance of being the first customer through on the phone, and the rep won't have worked tirelessly through previous calls which may have affected their stress levels.

It pays to be polite when getting through to someone on the phone, as representatives are less inclined to help rude or aggressive customers.

Knowing what other offers are on the market can help you to make a case for yourself to your provider.

If your provider won't haggle, you can always threaten to leave.

Companies don't want to lose customers and may come up with a last-minute offer to keep you.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

OFF-AIR

Danny Jones’ dad QUITS radio job in row over Maura Higgins ‘drunk Brits kiss

MASS OUTAGE

Sky DOWN with users reporting Wi-Fi cuts in 'UK-wide internet blackout'

It's also worth investigating social tariffs.

These deals have been created for people who are receiving certain benefits.