Exactly how much your broadband and mobile bill will rise by this April - from BT to Vodafone
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A ban on “confusing” mid-contract broadband and mobile price rises will come into force later this month - but experts have warned some customers could still be hit with “unfair” bill increases. Telecom firms are being banned by Ofcom from linking mid-contract price rises to inflation - instead, customers must be told in “pounds and pence” how much their bill will increase by. This will officially come into force from January 17.
Under the old rules, broadband and mobile companies were allowed to increase prices mid-contract every April in line with inflation, plus up to 3.9% extra on top of this. This saw millions of households hit by huge bill increases in 2023 of up to 17.3% after inflation surged to a 41-year high that year.
However, consumer experts have warned that those on cheaper contracts might not be better off under the shake-up, given that inflation is now much lower. Inflation sat at 2.6% in November. Andrew Ferguson, editor of thinkbroadband.com, told The Sun that someone who pays £24.99 a month for broadband, and is set to see their contract rise by £3 a month, would be paying more than they would if their price rise was linked to inflation.
If their bill went up by 6.5% - this is based on that November inflation figure, plus 3.9% - they would be paying an extra £1.62 a month. But for someone on a more expensive contract that costs £59.99 a month, a £3 rise would be cheaper than linking their price rise to inflation, which would equal an extra £3.89 a month.
