Millions of mobile customers across the UK will face increases this spring as phone firms prepare to hike bills in line with inflation.
Those who are with Three, EE, Sky Mobile and more could be paying more on their phone bills following a sharp increase in the cost of living. The increases can be applied mid-contract and each mobile provider will rise their bills differently with the maximum being up to a 14.4% rise.
Phone firms are blaming the rise on increases to their operating costs as a result of regulatory requirements, higher energy prices and increased network costs. For Three Mobile users an average monthly mobile bill of £32 a month will rise to £36.80 a month, which is an increase of £4.80 a month, totalling at an extra £57.60 a year.
READ MORE: Latest on data roaming charges for EE, Vodafone, Three, O2, Virgin, Sky, BT and more
If you're out of contract though, you don't have to accept any price hikes and we have listed some Three SIM deals at the bottom of this article if you're looking for a cheaper option. We've also put together a handy guide of what these increases with Three mean and exactly who they will affect, along with what you can do if you can't afford them.
Three's increases explained
Three will increase their mobile monthly charges from April onwards and customers will be contacted about potential rises in due course. If you've not yet heard about how rises will affect you, you can visit their website here.
Customers who joined Three on or after November 1, 2022, whether that's by upgrading their phone, taking out a new SIM only deal, or mobile broadband or home broadband plan will see their bills rise. On the Three website they say: "Monthly charges will increase annually each April by an amount up to the December CPI Rate, published in January of that year, plus 3.9%."
The CPI Rate is the consumer price inflation, which is the speed at which the prices of the goods and services bought by household rise of fall. The CPI is estimated by using price indices.
That means Three customers who fall into the above category will see this annual price change in their April bill and onwards. You can find out what your new monthly charge will be using their calculator here.
For example, let's say you currently pay £42 a month for your mobile contract, with the new increase it will be £48.30. Three say they work out the new monthly charge by taking what customers currently pay and applying the previous months CPI rate plus an extra 3.9%.
The new charges don't apply to add-ons or out of bundle charges and won’t apply to business plans, or plans taken out before November, 1 2022.
Support if you're struggling to pay your mobile bill
If you think you will struggle to pay these new charges or are struggling to pay your mobile bill in general, then the first thing to do is to get in touch with Three. They have a live chat on their website which is open 8am to 10pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 8pm at the weekends.
Three Mobile also has a customer service line for personal customers which can be contacted on 333 from your Three Phone, or from 0333 338 1001 from another phone. For mobile broadband customers its 500 from your Three Phone or 0333 338 1003 from any other phone.
The customer service team can look at ways to help you, and you can ask if you can lower your contract or come to an agreement if you're struggling to pay your bill. If you still find you need help then you can speak to Citizens Advice here who have dedicated tesams to help those who are struggling to pay their bill.
Current SIM deals
If your contract is up or you are seeking a cheaper deal then Three has some great SIM only deals on offer at the moment. Choosing a SIM only deal works out cheaper in the long run as you are no longer paying off the cost of your phone, just the data, minutes and calls for the handset you use.
Three offers pay-as-you go SIM only deals, as well as pay monthly SIM deals. In their pay-as-you-go range their cheapest deal is just £4 for six months for a 1GB data with unlimited texts and minutes (this increases from month seven if you choose to stay to £8 a month).
If you're after more data their best pay monthly SIM only deal for 24 months is at £12 a month for unlimited data, calls and texts, 5G ready, and data roaming as part of Three's Go Roam around the world plan. The price of this deal does increase though to £24 from month seven.
For £2 less you can get Three's 250GB data SIM only plan for £10 a month over a 24 month period. This plan includes unlimited calls and texts, 5G, and data roaming as part of Three's Go Roam around the world plan.
Three has reductions on a host of SIM only plans, visit their website here for more.
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