MONEY saving expert Martin Lewis has revealed the best text a Brit can send to save money on their phone bills.
In a video shared to social media, the financial guru warned his followers over imminent price hikes and urged them to try and switch network providers instead.
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He said: “Why not text INFO to 85075, it’s free and it will tell you whether you’re one of 14 million people in the UK who are currently out of contract and therefore free to switch and can likely save a shed load.”
Lewis added that there were only a few instances where this doesn’t work – like if you have a contract where you have multiple phones within a household.
But, if you’re in a situation like this, and you’ve been with the same provider for over two years, you’re likely to be out of contract.
The financial expert reminded his followers that prices on most mobile phone networks are going to rise by 8 per cent at the beginning of April.
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He added that this applied to everyone, even if they’re mid-contract, dubbing the whole thing “absolutely outrageous”.
Although Lewis has been vocal about the issue, having written to the Chancellor and lobbying against, there hasn’t been any changes as of yet.
Lewis went on to say: “It’s a really good opportunity to see if you can save.
“As for what you can get, the best deals aren’t direct, they’re going through comparison sites where they put marketing budget into giving you cheaper prices.
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“You can currently get 100 gig of data a month SIM for less than a tenner a month and a lot of people are paying far more for less.”
BT, EE, Vodafone, Sky, Three, O2 and Virgin Media have all confirmed rises for this spring.
Major phone networks to hike prices by up to 8% for millions, warns Martin Lewis – 3 ways to check you’re not overpaying
These come on top of hikes of up to 17.3 per cent last year – which means that someone on a standard two-year contract, paying £20 a month at the start of 2023, could soon be paying over £25 a month.
Previously on the Martin Lewis Money Show Live, Lewis said: “What’s weird here though is while the price you pay if you stick are going up, the prices are plummeting if you switch to a SIM only deal.
“Step 1 is to text INFO for free to 85075 to check if you’re free to leave.
“Step 2 is to use a cheap SIM comparison and step 3, to keep your number, is text PAC to 65075 and give the code to your new firm.”
How can I cut the price of my phone bill?
Hold on to your phone
You can save a fortune by keeping your phone once your contract ends.
But don’t linger on high monthly payments for any longer than necessary.
Pay monthly customers can save an average of £321 by keeping their handset and switching to the cheapest SIM-only deal.
Keep it simple
If you choose to hold on to your handset, make sure you search for the cheapest SIM-only deals.
Use several comparison sites such as MoneySavingExpert, Uswitch and Go Compare as offers vary slightly.
Filter deals depending on how much data you need, contract length and other factors.
MoneySavingExpert has a tool to check the signal for different providers in your area.
Transfer your number
It’s actually very easy to keep your old number once you’ve found a new deal that you’re happy with.
Just text “PAC” to 65075, and you’ll get a code straight away, valid for 30 days.
When signing up to a new contract, give the supplier this PAC code to transfer your number and cancel your old deal.
Check if you can get a social tariff
If your household is on a low income it’s also worth investigating social tariffs.
These broadband packages and discounts have been created for people who are receiving certain benefits.
They’re often available to those on income support, Universal Credit, or disability allowance.
Around 4.2million households are eligible for these cheaper tariffs but only 55,000 are making use of them.
Voxi and SMARTY both offer these cheaper mobile phone contracts and prices start at £10 a month.
