Survey Finds Confusion Over UK Broadband and Mobile Contracts

A new Opinium survey of 2,003 UK adults, which was commissioned by Uswitch.com, has found that average monthly bills for broadband ISP bundles and mobile phones have increased by £18.50 and £9.50 (per month) respectively this year. Despite that, 27% of broadband and 22% of mobile users still do not know when their contracts end.

The survey, which was conducted during mid-April 2023, also found that over a quarter (28%) of respondents are “angry” about the rising bills and over a fifth feel worried (21%) about the issue – hardly a surprise, given the cost-of-living crisis.

Respondents who didn’t know when their contract ends were also asked why this was the case, which saw 20% of respondents say it was because they now relied on reminders from providers to pay bills or renew contracts, while 19% said their contract automatically renews itself.

The top reasons time-poor Brits admit to not knowing when their contracts are up for renewal include having too many bills or contracts to keep on top of (16%), not being good at keeping track of dates (15%) and finding it difficult to keep on top of life admin (15%).

At this point it’s worth noting that the regulator, Ofcom, expects providers to have implemented End-of-Contract Notifications (ECN), which requires them to issue such notifications to existing subscribers at the end of their term (sent by text, email or letter) and the regulator doesn’t allow longer contracts to auto-renew. ECNs are also designed to help keep customers informed about the best available deals and to encourage switching.

The flip side of this survey is of course that most people are aware of when their contract ends, which is a good thing. But we agree with Uswitch that any mid-contract price increases to the main rental fee should enable customers to switch providers without penalty.