Millions of EE customers hit by new charges this week - what it means for you
EE has this week introduced roaming charges for pay-as-you-go customers using their mobile phones while on holiday in Europe.
Customers will now have to pay to use mobile data, make calls and send texts in 47 destinations.
The change affects anyone with an EE pay-as-you-go subscription, or those who top up their phone with credit manually.
The new charges kicked in on June 6 and you’ll be charged standard EE rates by default, which include 70p a minute for calls, 30p for texts and £3 for 550MB of data.
Mobile firms were previously banned from charging extra fees to use your UK allowance - calls, texts and data - while holidaying in the EU.
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This now no longer applies because the Brexit transition is over - and many of the major network providers have already reintroduced these roaming costs.
It means millions of families now face an additional cost when holidaying in the EU - on top of the rising cost of living.
The places where you’ll be charged are:
- Austria
- Azores
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Canary Islands
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- French Guyana
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Guadeloupe
- Guernsey
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Madeira
- Malta
- Martinique
- Mayotte
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Reunion
- Romania
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- St. Martin
- St. Barts
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Vatican City
If you have a subscription package, you may be able to save money by purchasing a “Roam like Home” add-on.
These let you use the UK allowances from your subscription pack and cos £2.50 for 24 hours or £10 for seven days.
Whether this will save you money or not depends on how much you’re going to be using your phone while abroad.
If you're really unhappy with the new charges, you could also consider switching mobile networks, as not all have reintroduced roaming.
Currently, both Three and O2 offer free roaming in Europe for pay-as-you-go customers.
You should always compare mobile deals online first using a website like Uswitch.com so you find the best package for you.
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How to cut your mobile phone bill
If you've got a holiday booked and you're worried about roaming costs, Uswitch has shared five top tips to cut your phone bill.
To save your data allowance, use hotel and café Wi-Fi connections whenever possible. You can also enable Wi-Fi calling or use services such as Whatsapp to make audio calls without using your minutes.
Download any maps, shows, films and music before travelling to avoid data costs abroad.
You may not have the same data allowances abroad as do in the UK. Check your fair usage policy to avoid paying more.
Sometimes even receiving a voicemail on holiday can cost you. Call up your network provider before you travel and get it switched off.
If you’re with a provider that has roaming charges it’s worth considering buying a one-month SIM-only deal that will cover you for your time away.
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