One fan of Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has explained exactly how she cut her mobile phone bill by £575, and it involved simply sending two texts.
The viewer of Martin's Money Show Live on ITV - known only as Carole - slashed her monthly expenditure by converting to a far-cheaper SIM-only deal, after hearing a helpful hack from the money man himself.
In a previous episode of his ITV show, the financial guru explained a how to check if you're still under contract with your current mobile phone provider.
Read more: Martin Lewis issues urgent warning to anyone who owns a mobile phone
The Mirror reports that all you need to do is text INFO to 85075 for free. You should then get a message back which will explain if you have any exit fees to pay if you leave your supplier. If you’re out of contract, then that means you’re free to switch to a cheaper deal elsewhere - which will save you money in the long run.
If you are switching, and you want to keep your existing number, you can text PAC to 65075 on your old phone. Your current provider will then send you your PAC code, which you’ll need to give to your new provider. Again, this is free to do.
In this week’s instalment of the Martin Lewis Money Show Live, viewer Carole shared her success story. She said: “I sent INFO to 85075 as advised by you, my current provider contacted me and I’m now on a SIM-only deal.
“I have unlimited calls and texts, 15GB of data, free EU roaming - and I keep my own number - for just £8 a month, saving £575 a year.”
Martin said: “I’m glad to hear this worked at home. You should try it and then, if you know you’re free to leave, it means you’re out of contract - either you can try and see what your provider’s cheapest deal is, haggle with them, or go on a comparison website and see what the cheapest you can get is.
“Just look at the size of the savings. So many people stay on high rates and you can slash it by 70 per cent or 80 per cent.”
It comes as phone bills will rise by around 14% from the end of March or beginning of April.
How to cut the price of your mobile phone bill:
If you’re out of contract, chances are you’re paying too much for your mobile phone. Compare prices elsewhere using a comparison website to see if you can get a better deal.
When comparing prices, go back and see how many minutes and data you're using in your current deal so you know what type of package you need. The cheapest phone tariffs are typically SIM-only deals.
This is because you're only paying for your minutes, data, texts and any other allowances - not the handset. Don’t want to switch elsewhere? Talk to your current provider, explain the prices you’ve seen elsewhere and try to haggle them down.
Do keep in mind that if you’re in contract, you may be charged an exit fee for switching.
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