Slash your mobile, broadband & TV bills by up to £250 this year with one trick

07 January 2023 , 06:00

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Which? says you could save up to £250 by switching to a different provider once your contract comes to an end (Image: Getty Images)

New research from Which? reveals that you could save up to £250 by switching providers if prices rise in or at the end of your current contract.

The consumer group recently surveyed 5,000 people whose mobile phone, broadband or TV package had ended in the last 12 months and asked them how much money they had saved by haggling and switching.

The survey revealed that on average, TV and broadband customers saved £162 by switching away and those who haggled with their provider saved an average of £90 a year.

There were also big savings to be had for broadband-only customers who switched, with the average being £92 and mobile phone customers on average saved £95.

Which? says if you do nothing when your contract ends then you could face big hikes to your bill as you are moved from an introductory offer to a pricier standard tariff (Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

Focusing on particular companies, Which? found those who switched away from Sky saved an average of £261 a year and those switching away from Virgin Media saved an average of £210.

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BT customers who had haggled told Which? they saved an average of £123 a year, while Sky customers saved £102.

For broadband-only plans, customers who haggled saved about £43 on average, but again customers with some of the bigger providers often saved more.

For mobile-only plans, Which? found customers who switched away from EE saved £184 and those who left Vodafone saved £150.

When it came to haggling, mobile customers reported savings of £62 a year, but the biggest savings were had by customers of Vodafone who saved £96, Three who saved £78, and EE who saved £70.

In its research, the consumer group found that nearly a quarter of those surveyed had done nothing, not switched away, nor tried to haggle when their contract ended.

By doing nothing, consumers risked facing a "hefty increase" as they move from an introductory offer to a pricier standard tariff.

This is because some providers use the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to set their prices and this year’s CPI is forecast to be around 10 per cent, some providers use the Retail Price Index (RPI), published in February, which is typically even higher than CPI.

Which? noted that last year's mid-contract price hikes were an eye-watering 10 per cent and this year they are predicted to be even higher with some mobile customers potentially facing rises of up to 18 per cent.

While no price hikes have yet been confirmed, Which? is calling on all providers to carefully assess what level of mid-contract price rises can be justified in the current cost of living crisis and allow customers to leave their contract without penalty if prices are hiked mid-contract – regardless of whether or not these increases can be said to be "transparent".

Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of Home Products and Services, said: “While our findings show that out-of-contract customers can avoid mid-contract price hikes by switching to a new provider or haggling with their current one, those still signed up to mobile or broadband contracts could be hit with price increases that could be as high as 18 per cent.

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“Given the unrelenting cost of living crisis, Which? is calling for all providers to allow all customers to exit their contracts penalty-free if their tariff does go up mid-contract and that anyone eligible for a social tariff should be allowed to move to one without facing exit fees.”

Ruby Flanagan