Martin Lewis has issued a warning about the upcoming price hikes about to hit mobile phone contract holders. Price increases are much steeper than normal thanks to the near-record high inflation.
But the money saving expert has some tips for you to avoid getting fleeced. Speaking to a live audience in Liverpool on his Martin Lewis Money Show Live!, he revealed five steps to cut mobile contract costs.
He said: "On around the beginning of April, many mobile bills are to rise up to a typical 17%, that's RPI [Retail Price Index] inflation from last December with 3% on top. Even if you are mid-contract which is something that should be stopped, including many of the big ones.
"It's not always this, so different contracts have different rises, but that just gives you an indication. So what do you do about it?"
Find out if you're out of contract
Firstly, he says, text the word 'info' to 85075 from your current phone. It's a free text, and it will let you know if you are one of 14 million people who are out of contract and free to leave.
If that's a yes, says Martin, consider switching your SIM to save. Another provider may give you a better deal.
Pick up a cheap SIM with a good deal
Related to that, you can grab cheap SIMs via comparison sites and discounters - not directly from the network. Martin's example was a sim from Three with 100GB data for £15/mth, unlimited mins & texts.
This sim also gives you £50+ auto-cashback, making it the equivalent of £11/month over the length of a one-year contract. And if you don't need all that data, you could pay under £4 per month and manage on 5GB data.
Change network but not signal
Of course, you may not want to change your network provider. Martin says that there are only four at work in the UK, and the other providers piggyback on them.
So you can simply check all networks using the same signal. For example, the 02 signal is used by Giff Gaff, Tesco and Sky Mobile.
He warned to check other terms if you're switching provider but not signal, like Wi-Fi calling, 5G and charges. For those who want to save but keep the same number, text 'PAC' to 65075 on your current phone to undertake the process.
Haggle with your provider
And if you want to stick with your current provider but are keen for a better deal? Use the cheapest deal you can find as a benchmark to haggle with your existing provider. Martin says this has a 50% - 70% success rate, so it's not to be sneezed at.
