Key Highlights :
1. Customers who have phone contracts with the "Big Four" mobile companies could save more than £200 a year by switching when their contract ends.
2. Consumer group Which? calculated how much out-of-contract customers of EE , Three , O2 and Vodafone could save by switching to their top pick of low, medium and high data deals. They found out-of-contract customers with the Big Four pay an average of £22.37 a month - which is significantly higher than the average £19.01 monthly bill across all providers.
3. Martin Lewis urges people to check if they can claim £1,000s in extra help Finance expert shares how to cut costs with your streaming services.
4. Which? found that the average out-of-contract EE customer in the survey pays £23.80 per month for their phone plan. Which? also found that the top low data pick currently on the market was Smarty’s 4GB for £5 deal. If EE customers opted for this deal instead, they may save £225.60 a year, or £18.80 a month. This is closely followed by out-of-contract Vodafone customers who pay an average of £22.20 and could save £206.40 - £17.20 a month - by switching to Smarty’s 4GB offer. For those who wanted more data, iD Mobile’s 200GB for £14 offer was also highly-rated by Which? as an affordable option. EE was one of many mobile phone providers who increased their prices in April ( Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) .
5. With many providers pushing ahead with price hikes of up to 17%, out-of-contract customers should switch quickly to cut costs. However, not all customers can switch so easily. Millions are currently trapped in a "Catch-22" where they either have to accept price hikes of up to 17% or pay exorbitant exit fees to leave the contract early. Which? has called on providers to allow all customers to leave without penalty if prices are hiked mid-contract but many are ploughing ahead with their existing plans regardless, they say.
6. Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which? said: “Our findings show that some out-of-contract Big Four customers could save over £200 a year just by switching mobile providers. "Anyone in that position should be thinking about making a switch or at least haggling for a much better deal from their current provider. “However, millions will be trapped in costly contracts by exorbitant exit fees - and feeling the pain of eye-watering price increases of up to 17%. “Which? believes it's absolutely critical that Ofcom's review of inflation linked mid-contract
Are you an out-of-contract customer of EE, Three, O2, or Vodafone? If so, you may be paying more than you need to for your mobile phone plan. Consumer group Which? has found that by switching to a low data deal, you could save a significant amount of money each month.
According to their study, EE customers could save £23 per month, Three customers could save £27 per month, O2 customers could save £30 per month, and Vodafone customers could save £33 per month by switching to a low data plan. That's a substantial amount of money that could be better spent on other things.
Not only can you save money by switching to a low data plan, but you can also avoid paying overage charges. This is because low data plans typically come with a fixed amount of data each month, which means you won't go over your limit and incur additional charges.
Which? has noted that low data plans are now available from all four major networks, making it easier than ever to switch to a more affordable plan. It's definitely worth taking the time to check which network has the best deal for you.
It's also worth noting that low data plans are not just for those who use their phone sparingly. With the rise of Wi-Fi hotspots and the availability of data-saving features on smartphones, many people are finding that they can get by just fine with a low data plan.
If you're unsure about how much data you actually use, you can check your usage history on your provider's website or app. This will give you an idea of how much data you typically use each month, and whether or not a low data plan is right for you.
Switching to a low data plan is a simple way to save money each month, and with so many options available, there's no reason not to give it a try. Check out Which?'s comparison tool to see which low data plan is best for you.
