How to beat mobile hikes in 2026 and a top tip to avoid the price increases - The Mirror

Price increases are coming for mobile phone owners - here's what to expect and what can be done about it.

Annual price increases are now a part of owning a mobile phone. Following the Ofcom ruling that suppliers should tell customers the price rises in advance, in most cases, we know how much our phone bill is going to change by.

To help readers understand what's coming and when, I've looked at the top mobile networks to pull all the details together, because forewarned is forearmed. The price increases will be effective from 31 March 2026, so they come into play from April.

There will be a small increase to the price paid monthly, but it might be that customers can avoid the price hikes by shopping for a better deal or moving to a different tariff. I've also pulled together my recommendations for the best deals out there for those looking to switch.

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According to Ofcom rules, suppliers should declare price rises at the time that a contract is taken out, so customers know what they'll be expected to pay across the whole duration of the plan.

If there are changes outside of those amounts, the network must tell its customers 30 days in advance of any change, while also allowing the customer to switch to a better deal without any penalties for early termination.

Recent news reported that O2 was enacting larger price rises than originally signalled to customers, which is exactly what the Ofcom rule was put into place for. For mobile phone networks, these price rises can be a little complicated, but here's how they break down.

EE - £2.50 a month increase

Customers with contracts since 1 July 2025 face a £2.50 monthly increase. Those with contracts taken out from 10 April 2024 to 30 June 2025 will face a £1.50 monthly increase.

Those with contracts taken out before 10 April 2024 will be on CPI (consumer price index) plus 3.9%. There are no increases on device plans.

• See all the details on EE

O2 - £2.50 a month increase

O2 will increase airtime plans by £2.50 a month, but there's no change to the price for the device. Data-only and smartwatch plans will increase by £0.75 a month. There is no change for device plans.

Those on a Volt plan where it's bundled together will find the price increases structured differently, so the best thing to do is log into the account to see what the changes will be.

• See all the details on O2

Three - from £1.00 a month increase

Three has tiered price increases, with those on plans up to 4GB seeing a £1.00 a month increase. Those on 5-99GB plans have a £1.25 a month increase, while those on unlimited plans have a £1.50 a month increase.

There are no increases on device plans.

• See all the details on Three

Vodafone - £2.50 a month increase

Vodafone will be increasing prices by £2.50 a month for customers. However, this adjustment only came into place on 12 November 2025, with Vodafone sticking to the previously agreed increases.

Those taking out a plan between 2 July 2024 and 11 November 2025 will pay £1.80 more a month, those on plans prior to 2 July 2024 remain on CPI plus 3.9%. Those with contracts before 9 December 2020 will have increases based on the RPI (retail price index).

• See all the details on Vodafone

That's how all the increased impact on the "big four" providers, but what about smaller virtual operators?

• Sky Mobile - no price increases declared
• GiffGaff - no price increases declared
• Smarty - no price increases declared
• Tesco Mobile - no price increases on Clubcard Price deals
• Asda Mobile - no price increases declared
• Voxi - no price increases declared
• iD Mobile - £1.50 a month increase, or CPI plus 3.9% before 1 January 2025

The reason there are fewer price increases on many of the smaller providers is that they don't have long airtime contracts. Typically they are 12 months, or rolling monthly, so if the supplier wants to increase the price, they can just do so when the customer comes to renew. Many of the "big four" airtime contracts are 24 months.

Note: Sky Mobile and GiffGaff both reserve the right to increase prices, but don't declare them, meaning that there will be freedom to leave (or switch) if changes do come along. GiffGaff provides some protection, allowing plan changes at any time.

Can I leave my contract early?

For most customers in a contract, early termination will come with a penalty, which is usually the remaining value of the contract. Some networks might let you switch to a different plan on their own network, but it's best to see what customer services will offer based on the existing deal.

How to avoid price increases

The most obvious way to avoid price increases is to avoid the expensive airtime plans from major networks and take out a SIM only deal. This will allow more freedom to switch and much lower prices.

The downside is that shoppers will need to either own a phone or have some other approach to buying one - although most virtual networks often also offer devices, but with much more flexibility on the SIM.

Best SIM-only deals - for those who bought a phone outright

For those who own a phone already, taking a SIM-only deal provides maximum flexibility. These are some of the best deals available, and this would be my top tip - move to one of these suppliers to get the best value for money.

• SMARTY - 24GB rolling monthly plan - £7 a month
• GiffGaff - 20GB rolling monthly plan - £10 a month
• Voxi - 60GB rolling monthly plan - £10 a month

With virtual providers, it's important to check the coverage to make sure it will deliver the performance expected. There are often some other perks, like Voxi offering free social media data on selected apps.

Best phone deals

For those who don't have a handset, there are a couple of great options. Here, it's more important to check the prices and terms and conditions, but typically, some of the best deals with the shortest airtime contracts come from the likes of Sky Mobile or GiffGaff.

In both cases, it's possible to take out a deal with either a monthly rolling airtime contract (GiffGaff) or to get a SIM that's £0 a month (Sky Mobile). That allows flexibility to get a handset deal without being locked into a long and expensive data plan.

Sky Mobile

The iPhone 17 is £25 a month with £12 upfront on a 36-month handset contract, but there's a £0 SIM available, so shoppers can get a cheap SIM elsewhere.

GiffGaff

iPhone 17 is £23.17 a month with £25 upfront on a 36-month handset contract, but there's a £10 monthly rolling contract that's £10 a month, so shoppers can switch at any point for lower data prices.