Broadband Price Increases

Muz3TA

Hi,

how often are broadband companies allowed to increase prices? I am with Shell & they have increased my price twice in a year, the next one due in April. I have looked on the OFCOM site & can't find an answer on there. 

TIA,

Andy.

SaverRate

What do your terms and conditions state?

Generally your price will increase April/May time every year plus when your current contract ends but depends on whats in the terms and conditions

No point looking at Ofcom you need to look at the Shell website. 

If your out of contract then negotiate or move 

OrbitHeadache

Virgin increase prices every year however that allowed customers to leave contract early without penalty.

However this will change from 2024 because price rises will be part of the contract so no one will be allowed to leave for free.

grumbler

MSE article: Broadband price hikes of up to 15% expected in April – what we know so far

Muz3TA

Thank you for the replies. I will have a look at the terms & conditions.

iniltous

If a company state in the T&C’s that they build in an annual increase on a particular date , usually based on inflation plus *%, then the increase in itself isn’t reason to ask to leave penalty free, if a company doesn’t state in the T&C’s that there will be increases in the price , they can still go ahead with the increase or increases but should advise you of those increases, and offer you the option to reject the increase and leave penalty free , this normally has to be done within a certain amount of time ( something like within 30 days of being notified of the increase ) and may require you to call a specific number to advise then of your intention to reject the increase…it really does depend on the T&C’s, most company’s that intend to raise prices will for new customers and renewing customers will have advised them of the change to the T&C’s that allow for annual increases, more than one increase per year isn’t usual, but if someone had a discount that ended , it may seem like two increases, something like 24 month term , first 6 months half price , would see an increase after 6 months when the discount ended , then another increase if the annual increase happened to be between 6-12 months after the contract was started.

acc

Muz3TA said

I am with Shell & they have increased my price twice in a year, the next one due in April.

When did you join Shell, and when were the two increases in a year? The terms allow only one increase per year.

I joined Shell in March 2022, with the terms below, so the earliest date Shell may increase my charges is April 2023 (if I stay with Shell into April):

"Your monthly Charges may increase each year on 1 April from 2022 by the annual percentage increase in the rate of
inflation as measured by CPI as published by the ONS in January of the same year, plus up to 3%. If you enter into your Agreement with us between 1 February and 1 April, you will not be subject to this increase from 1 April in the first year of your Agreement, but you will in all subsequent years of your Agreement."

superM

If I move over to Ee broadband now will I still get the price increase from Match or April? 

Thanks

MarzipanCrumble

I think Which? is looking at this and Which? is a powerful voice. 

It has just sent me an email (23/2/23):

Call for help
Is the price of your broadband and/or mobile deal about to go up? You might have only just signed up for a new deal, only to discover the price of it will rise in April. Or maybe you've been with the same provider for a while and have to weather this year's big increases on top of last year's - which were also hefty. Drop us a line to let us know how your bills are changing, how you feel about it and the effect it's having on your family's budget. Please contact us at: providers@which.co.uk
Are you on a broadband social tariff? We'd like to hear from people who have taken one up - how easy was it finding out about the different social tariffs on offer, what was the switching process like, and how much has it helped you save? Please contact us at: providers@which.co.uk