Sky Mobile customers who are out of their minimum contract period are being hit with a price rise from this Friday, the network has announced.
Anyone who is on Sky Mobile who is no longer in contract – for example, if you took out a 12-month contract 13 months ago, your minimum period is over and you can leave without penalties – is going to face paying more per month from this Friday, February 14.
Sky announced that customers will see monthly bills rise by a fixed £1.50 per month, equal to £18 a year. But those who are still in contract will not see their prices go up.
Sky Mobile is also increasing the cost of calls to the EU and EEA by 4p to 25p per minute, while calls to the rest of the world will rise by £1 to £3.50 per minute.
Money expert Martin Lewis has repeatedly urged mobile customers on every network to check if they are out of contract by sending a free text.
He says that millions of UK customers are potentially overpaying for their mobile bills because they could switch freely but have continued to pay their normal contract price, even after paying off their handset and no longer being in the minimum contract period.
Customers who are unsure about the status of their contract can text ‘INFO’ for free, along with their date of birth in the format DDMMYY to 85075.
The provider should then message back straight away to clarify, and how much they will charge in exit fees for leaving.
If you are out of contract, you’re then free to do a market comparison and find a better deal. At that point, you can send another text to ask for your PAC code, which you then give to your new network to switch you.
Martin says this often spurs your provider into giving you a better deal.
He said: “You tell them ‘I am leaving I want my PAC code’. Do you know what they often do? They go, ohhh, you’re leaving look we can do you a much better deal than you currently have.
“This is the weapon that you have to make sure they have to win your custom and protect your custom to really get the best deals, because it sends a warning to your network that you want to leave and are taking steps to do so actively.”
Totally Money chief executive Alastair Douglas said today: “There’s a lot of deals out there, with varying contract lengths, voucher incentives, and offers. Just shop around to see what each provider is offering, and double check the network coverage before signing up.
“It might also be worth considering buying a handset and getting a separate Sim-only plan — Ofcom estimates that on average it’s 23% cheaper than getting a packaged contract. You could even purchase the phone with a 0% credit card, allowing you to spread payments for up to 22 months without paying any interest.”
A Sky Mobile spokesman said: “We always aim to provide an outstanding service alongside some of the best value plans on the market.
“To ensure we can continue to invest in our services and deliver a great experience, the majority of our out of contract customers will see their monthly bill increase by £1.50 in February.”
