MARTIN Lewis has revealed how mobile bill payers could avoid huge increases.
Cheeky providers are set to hike their prices by up to 14 percent from April – leaving up to nine million Brits paying hundreds of pounds more.
The founder of Money Saving Expert said that’s because many are out of contract and now overpaying on their current deal.
But speaking on his Martin Lewis Money Show on Tuesday, he said Brits have a number of options to avoid a phone-shaped hole in the wallet.
The first trick is to work out if you are out of contract or have termination fees to leave your contract.
To do this, the saving whizz said: “Free text INFO to 85075 on your current phone.
“Sometimes they can’t do it, but it’s worth checking.”
He stressed that anyone who had termination fees and was within their contract may have to wait it out in order to save money.
Next check if you can switch networks to enjoy “huge savings”.
“All you do is change the SIM in your phone”, the savings expert said, before using a comparison site to see what deals are out there.
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And if you’re worried about giving up your old number, you can keep it by texting PAC to 65075 on their current phone.
Doing this is also a good opportunity to start haggling with your provider to get a better deal on your phone contract.
Importantly, you should not be worried about changing phone providers based on phone signal you get.
Only four networks operate in the UK – EE, O2, Three and Vodafone, with all other firms like Orange and Tesco Mobile “piggy-backing” on signals.
While you may not get certain services like WiFi calling, these other providers may be cheaper.
How to find a cheap mobile phone deal
Firstly, work out what you need.
Do you need a SIM only deal, new handset or want to get extra internet.
Once you know what you’re looking for compare deals, use websites like Moneysupermarket and other comparison sites to find the best offers.
Before you sign up, check whether you could save extra cash using a cashback site like TopCashback or Quidco.