Broadband and mobile price hikes 2025

MSE_Emily

Millions of broadband and mobile customers will see their bills increase this spring. Depending on your provider and when your contract started, your bill could rise by the rate of inflation plus a percentage on top, or by a specified amount in pounds and pence. Here's what's happening...

Read the full story:

Broadband and mobile price hikes 2025: How BT, Sky, Virgin Media and more will change bills this spring

oldernonethewiser

Over a 20% rise for my O2 SIM only deal so time to move.

King_Of_Fools

O2 appear to be moving everybody to the new £1.80 fixed increase, even if they took out a contract before the changes. So my £5.99 contract is now going to increase 30% - I guess I am one of the losers under the new system!

Narrowboatsarefun

King_Of_Fools said:

O2 appear to be moving everybody to the new £1.80 fixed increase, even if they took out a contract before the changes. So my £5.99 contract is now going to increase 30% - I guess I am one of the losers under the new system!

You should be able to leave without penalty (I am in the same boat with a 25% increase). The email O2 sent even states ”because of these changes, you have the right to end your airtime plan in the next 30 days”. Unfortunately, no one seems to have told O2 customer service. I spent an hour on the phone to them yesterday speaking to multiple people who all said I’d have to pay an early termination fee.

I’ve now started a complaint and hope this might resolve things. But it seems incredible to me that O2 don’t realise they can’t just change everyone’s contract without giving us a chance to leave - penalty free!

Narrowboatsarefun

MSE_Emily said:

Millions of broadband and mobile customers will see their bills increase this spring. Depending on your provider and when your contract started, your bill could rise by the rate of inflation plus a percentage on top, or by a specified amount in pounds and pence. Here's what's happening...

The article is not correct because as mentioned above O2 are moving everyone to a new contract and apparently not allowing them to leave without paying an early termination fee. 

On another thread I have seen one person who finally managed to get O2 customer service to accept they shouldn’t have to pay, but it seems not everyone in O2 knows this.

Narrowboatsarefun

Narrowboatsarefun said:

King_Of_Fools said:

O2 appear to be moving everybody to the new £1.80 fixed increase, even if they took out a contract before the changes. So my £5.99 contract is now going to increase 30% - I guess I am one of the losers under the new system!

You should be able to leave without penalty (I am in the same boat with a 25% increase). The email O2 sent even states ”because of these changes, you have the right to end your airtime plan in the next 30 days”. Unfortunately, no one seems to have told O2 customer service. I spent an hour on the phone to them yesterday speaking to multiple people who all said I’d have to pay an early termination fee.

I’ve now started a complaint and hope this might resolve things. But it seems incredible to me that O2 don’t realise they can’t just change everyone’s contract without giving us a chance to leave - penalty free!

I've finally had some success!

I made a complaint to O2 through the relevant email address and today spoke to someone from the Complaints Team. They reiterated that I would have to pay an early termination fee. They said the paragraph in the letter about "you have the right to end your airtime plan" only applied to people with a device as well as airtime. They then claimed that my right to exit ended in December (I think this is due to an email sent out in November, but this was only applicable to data-only and watch plans - which I don't have). Finally, I said if they couldn't help me further I'd like a deadlock letter so I can go to the Communications Ombudsman. This seemed to unlock something, since I was then told if I still wanted to leave they could credit the amount of the early termination fee to my account.

My main issue remaining is that I have nothing in writing. I was told they would send me a text confirming the credit, but so far this hasn't arrived.

Kite2010

God bless Ofcom for allowing those greedy telecom companies to increase prices by a fixed amount.  Be the same amount if paying for a £10 Sim-only contract to a £60 contract for a top of the range premium mobile.

Certainly I will be jumping ship from O2 considering £1.80 is a ~20% price hike on my current Sim only deal

QrizB

Kite2010 said:

God bless Ofcom for allowing those greedy telecom companies to increase prices by a fixed amount.

Consumers and consumer groups complained to OFCOM repeatedly about RPI- or CPI-linked increases, claiming that consumers wanted certainty. OFCOM took notice of their complaints and changed the rules.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/ofcom-bans-mid-contract-price-rises-linked-to-inflation/

This page includes all the consultation responses:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/review-of-inflation-linked-telecoms-price-rises

The following link is the response from MSE:

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/consultations/category-1-10-weeks/272754-consultation-review-of-inflation-linked-telecoms-price-rises/associated-documents/responses/moneysavingexpert.pdf

Which includes the following:

Our evidence suggests that the proposed £/pence requirement will be an improvement for all consumers, and particularly vulnerable consumers who may struggle to engage with measures of inflation. We expect that this change will provide a level of certainty and clarity and will reduce the likelihood of price rises catching consumers by surprise. As Ofcom has previously said, price rises can be materially harmful to consumers when they are not made clear in advance.

uvarvu

YouFibre have announced a loyalty promise where existing customers won’t pay more than new ones.

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/02/full-fibre-uk-broadband-isp-youfibre-launch-new-loyalty-promise.html

Step in the right direction but new customers are typically paying more at the moment.   I won’t be leaving anytime soon! 

Harvey_Odze

Why don't you mention Zen broadband, just about the only Internet provider who guarantees no mid contract price rises. 

athonjon

Hi. Have any other Pop telecom customers been hit with a larger than expected price rise?

I have an 18 month broadband contract with them. I signed up with them on 30th November and the service started on 16th December, just after my previous contract expired. I considered whether to wait until the law changed on 17th Jan '25 to start a new contract. I looked around and decided it would be cheaper to go ahead and switch, and Pop telecom were offering a CPI-linked increase at the time.

I checked (and I've since re-checked) everything they sent me and the only reference to price rises was on my first bill (December), which states 'As per our terms and conditions the yearly price of the services increase by CPI + 3.9%. The January 2024 CPI figure was 4% therefore POP telecom prices will rise by 7.9%. This increase is due to increased costs from our suppliers that we have to passed on and are unavoidable. The increase will take affect from 31st March'. This phrasing was repeated in my January bill. In my February and March bills the phrasing changed to: 'If you joined before June 2024 and as per our terms and conditions the yearly price of the services increase by CPI + 3.9%. The January 2025 CPI figure was 3% therefore POP telecom prices will rise by 6.9%. This increase is due to increased costs from our suppliers that we have to passed on and are unavoidable. The increase will take affect from 31st March. If you joined after June 2024 the increase will be £3 per broadband product and 6.9% for additional extras'. When I joined up my contracted price was £17.99 / month, and in my latest bill the price has increased to £21.00 / month. (I got a Black Friday offer on a 10/11 Mbps package via top cashback.co.uk - my property hasn't been upgraded for fibre). It seems to me they've back-changed their terms of how price rises are calculated from what was agreed when I signed up.

I phoned them today, and the customer service rep seemed to be blaming the government for the price increase (I think he was probably referring to the law change on 17th Jan '25). I said I wanted to complain and I asked to speak to a manager. He gave me an email address and said their procedure is for customers to complain by email. I haven't yet emailed them. I thought I'd post on here first as I'm curious to know if this has happened to any other Pop Telecom customers? Surely I can't be the only one. (If any admins think it would be better to post this in a different MSE forum, please let me know).

Thanks!