ISP Shell Energy Hikes Out of Contract UK Broadband Prices
New customers who take one of Shell Energy’s broadband plans, which are based off Openreach’s UK network (ADSL, FTTC and FTTP), may be displeased to note that the ISP has just significantly increased their out-of-contract prices by around 12.5% (i.e. impacting those who choose to remain loyal at the end of their term).
The move, which occurred yesterday, is perhaps a little unusual since it comes only a few days before Shell Energy, like so many other UK ISPs, is set to confirm mid-contract price hikes for their existing customers too (providers normally make these changes on the same day). In that sense, this could be seen as a preview of the impending hike for existing customers.
The latest changes are all detailed inside their Price Guide, which was updated yesterday. For example, the out-of-contract (post-discount) price of their 38Mbps “Superfast Fibre” package has increased from £32.88 to £36.99 per month, while their “Full Fibre 100Mbps” package has gone from £37.99 to £42.74 and their top “Full Fibre 900Mbps” plan has jumped from £57.99 to £65.24. Overall, this represents an increase of 12.5%.
Naturally, Shell has moved to counter this increase by launching a new range of discounts for new customers, which for example brings the cost of their “Full Fibre 100Mbps” package down to just £31.99 per month for the full 18-month term (£42.74 thereafter) and “Full Fibre 900Mbps” falls to £45.99 (£65.24 thereafter). On top of that, they’ve thrown in a shopping voucher worth between £100 and up to £175, depending on package choice.
At this point it’s worth remembering that other major ISPs will be confirming their own annual price hikes once the next CPI rate is published in a few days’ time (summary), which is expected to have a similar impact to those above. As recent surveys have shown, the best way to save money when this occurs is to try switching ISP, but failing that you could always give haggling a go (Retentions – Tips for Cutting Your Broadband Bill).
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
« ISP TalkTalk Offers Discount Pay TV and NOW TV Membership
Latest UK ISP News
- FTTP (5540)
- BT (3518)
- Politics (2543)
- Openreach (2300)
- Business (2268)
- Building Digital UK (2248)
- FTTC (2045)
- Mobile Broadband (1979)
- Statistics (1790)
- 4G (1670)
- Virgin Media (1625)
- Ofcom Regulation (1467)
- Fibre Optic (1396)
- Wireless Internet (1393)
- FTTH (1382)
One of my brothers is with Shell, been with them for a while, and they have been ok and even out of contract have not raised the price, he will not be happy, and I can feel a phone call happening to me soon to ask me about changing providers. Myself, i think he should phone them and try to haggle and see what they can give him since the service is fine. I have looked at them myself for when this contract runs out with plusnet.
My only problem with Shell is their router, it is horrid, it works fine, but is a flat huge box.
Shell is one of the providers I’d bundle with TalkTalk/VM, it’s fine when things are working and OK – and it really is not as soon as you need them to do anything.
Check their reviews here for example. Their support have a repuation and it isn’t good.
@Matt, yeah I have heard that shell Customer service can be a bit iffy, We will see what happens in the next 6 months. The price for 36Mb/s is £21.99 a month at the moment, so certainly cheaper than plusnet
What an absolute rip off! So the current people paying for the 900Mb package are paying £58 now and will jump to £65 from I’m presuming April when the RPI comes into effect… If you can’t haggle them down or they refuse to give you a good deal, you could literally swap to a new provider, immediately swap back during the cooling off period with that new provider and pay only £46 a month because you’d then be a new customer… Where is the logic in all of this!
Most providers will happily give you the “new customer” price when you phone up – but they will require you to take a new 18-24 month contract.
It’s in their interest to do so, because they have no need to send out a new router or pay an Openreach activation fee when renewing a contract with an existing customer. And of course, you’re now no longer at liberty to leave.
A question to the consumer law connoseurs: how legal is for Shell to do a one-sided change to the existing contracts (the customer base they took over from First Utility) and add this annual price increase? It’s one thing when you’re a new customer and you sign up for a contract with that clause already included, but are they allowed to add this to the old contracts like that?
Damn paying £40 for my gig service
Yea My area just got cityfibre I got dead of £25 for gig up and down for 24months
I’ve always seen terrible reviews about this ISP on ISP Review, so I can’t recommend them. Add in these big price increases and I can only suggest to steer clear.