MORE than a million mobile customers have just days left to make a crucial move or they’ll end up paying more.
The majority of Sky Mobile’s phone tariffs are going up on February 14.
AlamySky Mobile is raising its prices on February 14[/caption]
Monthly bills for the average out-of-contract customer will rise by 3 per cent.
The majority of data tariffs of 20GB and below are increasing by £1.
People on tariffs of 25GB or more are being upped by £2, although some customers will be hit with a £3 increase.
This means customers face an annual rise of between £12 and £36.
Sky says that around 71 per cent of its out of contract customers will be affected the rise.
This means some 1.3m people will be hit by a rise of around 3 per cent, 0.9 percentage points below the current rate of inflation of 3.9 per cent.
Generally, most mobile phone operators push up their prices around the start of the year.
This is the second time in six years that Sky has raised the price on any of its mobile plans.
Last year, the firm increased prices by an average of 9 per cent.
The price rise will come into effect from February 14, meaning that if you pay your phone bill on the 20th of every month, you’ll pay the extra amount from February 20.
Sky Mobile users who are still in contract will be unaffected.
There is still time to take action so you can possibly avoid paying more.
Customers can make changes to their contract by contacting Sky’s customer care team and taking out a new one between now and February 14.
‘INVESTING IN NETWORK’
A Sky spokesperson said: “To continue investing in our network and to provide the best service for our customers, out of contract customers will see an average 3 per cent increase to their Sky Mobile monthly bill.
“This equates to the majority of our tariffs seeing a £1 monthly increase, maintaining our position as one of the best value mobile providers on the market.”
Other major mobile phone providers are expected to announce an increase to their bills in the coming weeks.
Telecoms usually put up their prices based on the rate of inflation plus 3.9 per cent more.
December’s Consumer Prices Index (CPI) or January’s Retail Price Index (RPI) is normally used to determine the rises.
Core CPI, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, rose by 5.1 per cent in the 12 months to December 2023, according to figures from the ONS.
The RPI figure is currently at 5.2 per cent.
Most customers will see their bills increase from April 1, although some firms like Sky, could bring this forward.
FREE TO LEAVE
If you’re not happy with the change you could leave.
Only out of contract customers are affected, so that means you’ll be able to leave penalty-free if you wish.
You’ll be able to leave at any time leading up to or after February 14.
Of course, do shop around for the best deal – these can be found on comparison websites such as MoneySupermarket and Uswitch.
You could also check on Smartphonechecker which lists all phone deals currently available.
HAGGLE FOR A DEAL
It’s also worth trying to haggle with Sky to see if it’ll give you a better deal.
If you think your bills are too high and want to drive them down, the first thing to do is find out what the cheapest deal on the market is.
You can use this rate as a bargaining tool to get a better offer with your provider.
Get in contact with your provider to see if they can match this rate – if not, you might want to switch instead.
For more ways to cut your phone bill, we’ve got eight tips for slashing costs.
Plus, here’s the full list of providers who increased bills last year.
Also, here is the full list of household bills set to rise by up to £370 in 2024 – and how to avoid paying more.
AlamyOut of contract customers just have a few days to secure a good deal before prices rise[/caption]