TV, broadband and mobile customers are set to face higher bills from April as firms increase prices mid-contract.
A lot of contracts, even the best broadband deals and the best mobile deals have a clause to say prices can be hiked mid-contract.
Broadband firms use a measure of inflation to calculate the hikes and inflation stands at 10.5%. On top of this, they add an extra 3-4% hike, meaning prices could rise by up to 14.4%.
But regulator Ofcom has said it is ‘concerned’ about the uncertainty customers will face due to the price hikes.
We tell you all of the price hikes expected and your options- can you leave penalty-free or even haggle for a better deal?
BT, EE and Three
BT, EE and Three customers will see their broadband prices go up from 31 March.
| Broadband provider | Percentage hike |
|---|---|
| BT | 14.1% |
| EE | 14.1% |
| Three | 14.1% |
BT customers who have BT home essentials, EE Mobile Basics, Pay-As-You-Go, BT Basic and Home Phone Saver will NOT see a rise in their broadband bills as they are frozen in 2023.
If you’re a Three customer who took out a contract before 1 November 2022, you NOT be affected, but if you took out a contract on or after that date will see a price hike.
How much you’re currently paying will drive what you pay from April for broadband. For example, a £50 per month phone contract on EE will see a 14.1% rise, which means an extra £7.05 per month. That’s an extra £84.60 per year.
Read more for the full details on the BT, EE and Three hikes.
TalkTalk
TalkTalk customers will see a 14.2% price hike on their broadband bill from 1 April.
Again, how much you currently pay will drive what you pay from April.
Virgin Media
Virgin Media are increasing their prices from 1 April or 1 May by 13.8%. Customers will be notified regarding what date applies to you.
UK cable customers will be hit by the hikes which include households with broadband, TV or fixed-line phone packages.
The following Virgin Media customers will NOT be affected by the price rises:
- Mobile-only customers- If you are solely a Virgin Media mobile customer and do not use any of their other services, this price hike won’t affect you. Note, Virgin is set to announce a price hike this month for mobile-only customers based on January’s Retail Prices Index (RPI) figure (plus 3.9%). Also, if you are a Virgin Mobile customer with a Volt or Oomph bundle, this price rise WILL affect you.
- Customers on essential broadband packages- These are Virgin Media’s social tariffs for those claiming Universal Credit.
- Customers on Talk protected phone plans- A plan for those over the age of 65 years with accessibility needs that offers a special phone-only tariff.
- Other vulnerable customers- Financially vulnerable customers should contact Virgin as they could give additional support to suit your needs.
It’s not all bad news, as if you’re a Virgin Media customer who will be affected by the price hikes, you can leave penalty-free. To leave you must contact them within 30 days of being notified about the price hikes.
Read more on Virgin Media’s annual inflation-linked price rise from April 2024.
O2 and Virgin Mobile
These customers will see one of the biggest rises from April, with O2 and Virgin Mobile confirming hikes of up to 17.3%.
Pay monthly and SIM-Only O2 customers who signed on or before 25 March 2021 will see up to a 13.4% rise on their bill and this applies to mobile, tablet and/or smart watch users. Do note the rise only affects your airtime plan, not what you pay for your device.
For customers on an O2 Refresh plan, the contract for paying off your device will not see a rise so your overall increase will be less than 13.4% if you signed on or before 25 March 2021.
Good news for O2 pay-as-you-go customers who will not be affected by the price hike.
All pay monthly and SIM-Only Virgin Mobile customers will see up to a 17.3% price hike.
If you are on a Virgin Mobile Freestyle plan, only your airtime cost will see a price hike and not your contract for your device, so the hike will be less than 17.3%.
There is no pay-as-you-go option on Virgin Mobile and note Virgin Mobile users will migrate to O2 this year, which means from 2024 you will be subject to O2’s prices.
Shell Energy
Shell Energy customers will see bills hike by 13.5% from 1 April.
Broadband and landline customers will be affected if your contract started before 9 January 2023. If you signed up after 9 January, you will not be affected.
Unfortunately, Shell Energy does not give the option to leave penalty-free.
Sky Mobile
Sky Mobile customers will see a 9% price hike from 14 February (below the current rate on inflation), but only those out of contract will be affected. The rise will be around £1 per month, so £12 over a year.
It’s good news for Sky Mobile customers in contract, as they have a no mid-contract policy. This means they can’t increase how much you pay whilst you’re in your minimum contract term, so this change will only affect those out of contract.
If you are affected by the Sky Mobile price hikes, find out how it affects you depending on the date you pay your bill.
Sky broadband and TV
Sky broadband and TV customers will see an average 8.1% rise from 1 April ((£5.60 per month), but this is just an average and will vary for each household.
You will be affected if you have a bundle package with Sky including more than one product, or just one product, for example broadband.
Those who took out a rolling monthly plan with Sky before 18 October 2022 will also see price hikes on their broadband bill.
Sky broadband and TV customers who will NOT see a rise are:
- Customers on a Sky Broadband Basic plan- which is Sky’s social tariff for those on benefits such as universal credit.
- Customers with a Sky Glass and Sky Stream package who signed up on or after 18 October 2022.- This includes those who took out a monthly rolling plan or 18-month contract after this date.
If you are out of your minimum contract term for broadband, home phone and/or TV, you can leave penalty-free.
If you’re still within your minimum term contract for Sky broadband or home phone, you can leave penalty-free too, but you must be affected by the price hikes and you will need to notify Sky within 30 days of receiving your official notification regarding the price hikes.
Sky TV package customers need to give 31 days’ notice if they want to leave penalty-free and Sky broadband and home phone package customers will need to give the provider 14 days’ notice.
You can contact Sky by calling them on 0333 759 1230 or you can contact them online.
Tesco Mobile
Pay monthly Tesco Mobile customers will see an average hike of 14.4% on bills, here’s how it will play out.
You will see a 14.4% price hike if you are a pay monthly Tesco Mobile customer whose contract expired before 1 February 2023, or if you take out a pay monthly contract between 27 March and April.
Pay-as-you-go customers will not be affected, and if your contract has expired or is due to expire between 1 February 2023 and 31 January 2024, you will see a price hike from April 2024.
If you joined Tesco Mobile before 27 March 2023, you will see an increase in April 2024 once your contract has ended.
The good news is, from 27 March 2023 you can avoid mid-contract price hikes with Tesco Mobile, but you must be on a Clubcard Price plan.
Vodafone mobile
Vodafone mobile customers will see an average 14.4% increase in their bill from April, but not all customers are affected.
If you signed your Vodafone mobile contract between 8 December 2020 and 23 February 2023 on will see a 14.4% hike. (This includes mobile, tablet or smartwatch users).
Note, if you are on a Vodafone EVO plan, you will only see the 14.4% hike on your airtime plan, not on what you pay for your device.
Those who signed up for a Vodafone mobile plan on or before 24 February will not see a price hike until April 2024.
And if you signed up for a Vodafone mobile plan before 9 December 2020, your price hike will be announced in March based on February’s RPI figures.
Vodafone broadband
Customers who signed up between 2 February 2021 and 23 February 2023 will see their bill go up by 14.4% from April.
But those who signed up on or after 24 February 2023 will not be affected by the hikes. Vodafone Essential Plan customers (those on the Vodafone social tariff plan) will not be affected by the price increase either.
Vodafone customers who signed up before 2 February 2021 will know their price increase in March, which will be announced based on February’s RPI figure.
Can I leave mid-contract and switch to another supplier penalty-free?
In general, no. If you decide to cancel your broadband before the minimum term, you’ll usually need to pay an exit fee - this varies from provider to provider but usually involves paying off the remaining months of your contract, plus the cost of any equipment provided like a router.
There are circumstances where you can leave mid-contract penalty free. These include:
- still being within the 14-day cooling off period after you sign up and changing your mind
- your provider has been seen to not do enough to resolve an ongoing problem - Ofcom says you can cancel your contract penalty-free
- you’ve experienced broadband speeds that are slower than your provider’s minimum broadband speed - again, Ofcom says you can cancel your contract penalty-free
- your new provider agrees to pay the penalty fee. We will update this article as we learn which providers this applies to
- you’re a Sky broadband or home phone customer and still within your minimum term contract and affected by price hikes: you can leave penalty-free if you notify Sky within 30 days of receiving your official notification regarding the price hikes
How to haggle for a better deal
If you’re stuck and can’t leave penalty-free or you are looking for a better deal, try to haggle for a better deal with your existing provider before looking elsewhere, as most providers are increasing prices.
According to Which? broadband customers can save an average of £43 per year by haggling. Here are some tips.
Do research prior to haggling- Sue Hayward, Personal Finance & Consumer expert said: “Do your homework first, so shop around a month before your contract ends to find the best deals to use as a bargaining chip when haggling with your existing provider.”
Be polite- It’s a simple rule of thumb to just be polite, whether that’s in person or over the phone. It means the person on the other side is more likely to be receptive to what you want.
Compare prices- use comparison sites such as Go Compare and Uswitch, so you know what a good deal looks like and you don’t end up asking for something unreasonable. You could even ask if your provider can price-match a better deal you found.
Get more tips on how to haggle for a better deal.
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