MAJOR broadband and mobile providers are hiking prices in a fresh blow for households.
BT, EE and Three are among the firms which have confirmed to The Sun they will put up bills by up to 7.9%
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According to figures from USwitch, the average broadband customer is set to pay an additional £27.19 per year.
While the average mobile customer will pay an extra £24.23 per year.
It comes after the CPI rate of inflation for December was published today and came in at 4%.
December’s CPI figure or January’s RPI figure are used by many mobile and broadband companies to hike prices.
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Most of the increases will come into effect for millions of customers from March 31.
This means that the new rate will kick in from your next bill after that date.
The increase will affect customers even if they’re signed up to a contract with a fixed price.
This is because many firms have mid-contract price rises written into their terms and conditions.
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A lot of broadband and mobile phone providers base their annual price increases on the rate of inflation plus an extra 3.9%.
The rate of CPI inflation was 4% in December, so some bills will rise by 3.9%.
The exact amount you pay will depend on how much your bill is now, but some could add more than £971.10 a year to bills according to USwitch.
January’s RPI figure won’t be released until February, so if your provider uses this rate for its price hikes you won’t know exactly what you’re going to pay until then.
Not every provider puts up their prices based on CPI though, Sky Mobile for example has opted to increase its bills below the rate of inflation, by an average of just 3%.
In the future, providers could be banned from linking price rises to runaway inflation figures under new proposals from Ofcom.
The regulator said mobile and broadband customers were being hit with mid-contract rises which they found difficult to understand.
Instead, providers are encouraged to explicitly spell out the exact amount in pounds and pence.
BT has already confirmed it will be doing this from the summer.
Below we reveal what each provider is doing and how to avoid it.
BT
BT, which has approximately 30million customers, has confirmed it will increase its prices for most BT broadband, landline, mobile and TV users.
These customers will see a rise of 7.9% – made up of December’s CPI figure plus 3.9%.
This will take place from March 31.
BT said: “Most of our customers can expect an increase of a few pounds per month, about the price of a takeaway coffee each month.”
From the summer BT said it is abandoning mid-contract price rises linked to inflation though, plus they’ll be in pounds and pence.
BT consumer chief Marc Allera said that means mobile customers will see mid-contract price rises “from £1.50”, while broadband customers will face rises of “£3”.
EE
EE, which is owned by the BT group, will also hike prices for most of its 25million customers.
Its website states that each year, it adjusts the prices of its products and services in-line with CPI plus 3.9%.
Most BT broadband, landline and mobile users will be affected.
It means its prices too will be increased by 7.9% from March 31.
Sky Mobile
The majority of Sky Mobile’s phone tariffs will soon increase, so you likely will see a rise.
From February 14, bills for Sky’s the average out-of-contract customer will see their monthly bill go up by 3%.
The majority of data tariffs of 20GB and below are increasing by £1.
Tariffs of 25GB or above are increasing by £2, while some customers will see a £3 increase.
While this may seem small it means customers, all 1.3million of them, face an annual rise of between £12 and £36.
Virgin Media 02
Virgin Media O2 also confirmed that its prices will be going up but we won’t know by how much until January’s RPI figure comes out next month.
Most pay-monthly and sim-only users with mobiles or other gadgets will likely be affected.
The firms will increase prices using January’s RPI plus 3.9%.
This will kick in from April 1.
TalkTalk
TalkTalk customers will also be paying more from April 1 this year.
Broadband and landline users will be paying a total of 7.7% extra.
This is using December’s CPI figure as well as an extra 3.7%.
That’s an average increase of £2.22 per month
Fixed Price Plus customers out of the minimum contract period will be paying 4% more – as this is based on just December’s inflation rate.
Three
Most of Three’s broadband and mobile users will be affected by price hikes.
The firm will be increasing costs by 7.9% from April 1.
A spokesperson for Three UK said: “This year our contract customers whose bill will increase will see an average price increase of less than £1.50 per month.
“The increases reflect inflationary pressures we are facing as a business including energy prices, supplier increases and increased staffing costs.
“Despite this change, our prices remain some of the most competitive in the market and we have a range of support, including a social tariff via SMARTY, available for customers struggling with their finances.”
Vodafone
From April 1, Vodafone will also be increasing its prices by 7.9% for half of its customers.
It says this will equate to around a few pounds extra a month.
But the firm, which has over 18million customers, says it will continue to engage will Ofcom regarding changes to how mid-contract hikes are set out.
A spokesperson said: “We fully support providing clarity and choice for customers, and we will continue to engage with Ofcom as they finalise their plans.”
How much will my bill increase by?
Your internet provider or mobile network should contact you to let you know how much your bills will increase in April.
If you’re a BT, EE, TalkTalk, Vodafone or Three customer, there’s an easy way to work out how much more you’re set to pay from April.
Just find out what 7.9% of your current monthly bill is – you can use an online percentage calculator to work that out.
Then add that to your current bill – this will give you your new monthly payment.
To find out your annual cost, then multiply that total figure by 12.
How to avoid the price hike
The simplest way to save more of your hard-earned cash is by switching your supplier when your contract expires.
If you’re outside the minimum term of your contract then you won’t need to pay a cancellation fee – and you might be able to find a cheaper deal elsewhere.
If you’re still in your contract period, you might be charged an exit fee.
But don’t just switch contracts because the price is cheaper than what you’re currently paying.
Take a look at how much speed you need for broadband or how many minutes and texts, as well as how much data you’re using on your mobile, to find out which deal is best for you.
Use comparison websites, such as MoneySupermarket and USwitch to compare the best tariffs and phone prices.
If you’re happy with your provider then it might be worth using your research to haggle a better deal too.
The first thing to do is find out what the cheapest deal on the market is.
You can use this rate as a bargaining tool to get a better offer from your provider.
Get in contact with your provider to see if they can match this rate – if not, you might want to switch instead.
For more ways to cut your phone bill, we’ve got eight tips for slashing costs.
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Meanwhile, here is the full list of household bills set to rise by up to £370 in 2024 – and how to avoid paying more.
Plus, millions of people will see tax changes in 2024 that affect both their income and savings.
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