Millions of Brits have days left to avoid up to 17.3% broadband hike this April
Comparison site Uswitch is urging millions of Brits to check if they can avoid the above inflation hike on their broadband bill this April.
The comparison site estimates that 11 million people who are out of their initial contract period could dodge the hike by switching to a new deal.
Broadband and mobile phone customers are being hit with inflation-linked price increases of up to 17.3% this April.
If you're bill is going up, you'll likely already have started receiving letters, texts or emails from their providers confirming the price increases.
The majority of broadband providers do not give in-contract customers the chance to leave penalty-free when prices increase
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However, some offer providers off the chance to leave the contract penalty free within 30 days after receiving their price rise notification.
USwitch says around seven million Sky and Virgin Media broadband customers could avoid April’s price hikes by switching suppliers, as they are allowed to leave penalty free.
Vodafone, TalkTalk and Shell have confirmed to Uswitch that customers signing up for broadband packages in March won’t be impacted by April 2023 price rises.
These providers have told the price comparison site that the "baked-in" price increases will not be anding until April 2024.
USwitch warns that this will not shield you from price rises in 2024.
Tesco Mobile has also confirmed that if your mobile contract has ended before February 1 2023, your price will rise this April.
However, this year’s hike can be avoided by upgrading to any Tesco Mobile plan before March 27, or a Clubcard Price plan on or after March 27 2023.
USwitch is urging broadband and mobile customers to check and see if they are out of contract or approaching the end of one as they might be able to switch to a new deal now and avoid the hikes.
Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said: “If your contract ends before April, now is the time to explore your options by comparing your current deal with what’s out there.
“You can switch now to avoid the impact of the April 2023 price rises entirely with providers such as Vodafone, Virgin Media, Shell and TalkTalk, if you find a broadband deal that suits you.
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“You could also take the information around competitor prices and speeds back to your current provider and ask for a better deal. Providers will be keen to hang on to customers, so there’s often room for negotiation if you’re happy with their service - especially if you’re out of contract."
Ernest advises those who find themselves facing price rises to take the opportunity and "vote with their feet" to try and find a better deal elsewhere.
They add: “Some providers, such as Hyperoptic and Cuckoo, have also gone one step further and committed to no mid-contract price increases at all, so it’s worth seeing if they cater to your local area."
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