EE this week introduced new roaming charges for pay-as-you-go customers who use their mobiles abroad in Europe, meaning punters will now have to pay extra to use mobile data, make calls and send texts across 47 destinations.
The change affects all EE PAYG customers, as well as those who top up their phone manually with credit. The brand-new charges landed yesterday (June 6) and standard EE rates will be charged as a default.
These include 70p per minute phone calls, 30p texts and £3 for 550MB of data. Mobile phone firms were previously banned from adding extra charges to UK allowance while holidaying in the EU.
Read more: Virgin Mobile users are automatically switched over to O2 - and they're not happy
The Mirror reports after Brexit however, major network providers were able to reintroduce the roaming costs. It means that millions of families will face additional costs for using their mobile phones while abroad, as the cost of living crisis continues to batter wallets and purses across Great Britain.
Here's a list of places you'll now be charged for using your mobile phone by EE.
- 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
Those with subscription packages may be able to save money by using a 'Roam like Home' addon - which allows users to use their UK allowances. They are priced at £2.50 for 24 hours or £10 for seven days.
Whether this will save you money in the long run is determined by how much you plan on using your mobile abroad. If you're truly unhappy with the new charges, you could also consider switching mobile networks - as not all have introduced data roaming.
At the time of writing, O2 and Three offer free roaming across Europe for PAYG customers. You can compare mobile deals online by using sites like Uswitch.com, which will determine the best package for you.
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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