How to avoid broadband price increases

Most broadband providers put their prices up at some point during your contract with them. They're perfectly within their rights to do this as long as they make it clear what the price rise will be when you sign up. So how do you avoid being surprised by an unwelcome increase?

How much are mid-contract broadband and mobile price rises?

The exact rise varies by provider and what contract you're on.

It used to be common for providers to calculate price rises based on inflation plus an added margin. Ofcom decided that this wasn't fair to customers because they didn't know exactly what the rise would be when they signed the contract. So any broadband contract taken out from 17 January 2025 has to have any future price rises given clearly in pounds and pence.

Unfortunately, contracts signed before that still use the old and less certain way of expressing future price rises. They take the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Retail Price Index (RPI) and then add a percentage on top. They usually use the CPI or RPI number from a few months before the price rise.

Many providers put their prices up in spring 2025. Here's a breakdown of the most recent price rises by provider as of June 2025. ^[2]

Social tariffs are typically exempt from mid-contract price rises, although there may be certain exceptions depending on the provider, so always be sure to check terms and conditions for clarity.

When do broadband prices usually go up?

Most broadband providers put their prices up around the start of the financial year, which means late March or early April. The exception is NOW Broadband, which has chosen July for its price hikes this year (2025).

How much should you pay for broadband?

Our latest figures show that the average broadband deal through us comes in at £27.79. ^[3]

If you're just after broadband on its own, it’s a little cheaper - averaging £27.16. But if you opt for a broadband and TV bundle, the price rises to £43.59.

At the same time, bundling broadband, phone and TV often gives you more value for money, with the average package coming in slightly lower at £43.07.

The top end of the scale is gigafast broadband with TV deals, averaging £55.58, and cable broadband phone and TV bundles, which come in at around £60.39 on average.

In the UK, you can expect to pay around £25-£60 per month for broadband in 2025. ^[4]

The actual amount you’ll end up paying will depend on factors like the speed and type of package you choose, as well as your connection type. A more detailed breakdown of typical broadband costs can be found below:

• General - £25-£60 per month for a 24-month fixed-term broadband package
• Full fibre (Fibre-to-the-Premises/FTTP) - Most people pay between £40-£60 per month
• Hybrid fibre (Fibre-to-the-Cabinet/FTTC) - Most people pay between £25-£32 per month

The average monthly household spend of fixed services (including broadband) is around £44, ahead of mobile spending at around £40.

Take a look at our guide to see if you’re overpaying for broadband and whether you might be able to get a better deal elsewhere.

Who can switch?

Anyone can switch broadband providers, but if you're leaving before the minimum term of your contract is up there will probably be exit fees to pay. Always check before switching.

The switching process for fixed broadband is very easy these days, thanks to Ofgem rules that tell your new provider to handle the admin on your behalf. With One Touch Switch you don't need to contact your old provider - just leave.

If you’re out of contract

Once the fixed term of your contract is over, you'll be moved onto a rolling deal that's almost always more expensive than your original contract, but the good news is that you're free to switch. See if you can save by finding a new deal.

Can't remember when you signed up? Ofcom says that as a home broadband customer, your contract shouldn't be any longer than 24 months. So if it's been more than two years since you last changed provider or upgraded, you're definitely free to switch.

For shorter contracts you can of course switch sooner. Always check first by looking at a bill or logging into your online account.

If your minimum term close to ending

If your minimum term is drawing to a close, it's worth looking into the deals that are available now to give yourself the best chance of maximising your savings on a new contract.

Roughly a month before the end of your minimum term, you will be in a strong negotiating position with your current provider. If they can’t beat the top deals you’ve seen, you should consider switching.

If your minimum term isn’t expiring for several months

If your minimum term is due to end a few months from now, you’ll likely face an exit fee if you switch. These are often based on how long there is to go on your contract, so the earlier you leave, the more you'll pay.

There are some exceptions to this rule. One is if your provider hikes the price mid-contract and didn't tell you in advance what the increase would be. As of June 2025, the only provider that doesn't inform you of price rises at the time of sign-up is Sky broadband. So if you're a Sky customer, you can cancel without a penalty as long as you leave within 30 days of getting notice of the price change.

We explain more about when you can leave without penalty in our guide to broadband cancellation rights.

How can I get a better price for my broadband?

Here’s how to seek out a better deal:

1 Use a comparison site

You can take a look at multiple broadband providers and prices in one simple search.

All you’ll usually need to tell us is your postcode and who your broadband is currently with.

2. Negotiate with your current provider (optional)

Happy with your current provider but you’re just not keen on the price? You can use the information you gathered when comparing to negotiate a better deal.

There’s no guarantee your current provider will be able to offer something similar, though.

3. Pick your new deal and switch

If you find a deal you like (or your current broadband provider can't offer you a deal that you're satisfied with), you can cancel without penalty and sign up with a different provider instead.

Make sure you confirm the date of your last payment with your current broadband provider so you can arrange when to start your new one.

Switching broadband provider

Our figures show that more people are looking to switch broadband provider. In March 2025 we saw a 21% increase in people using Go.Compare to find broadband deals, compared to March 2024.

Nathan Blackler, our broadband expert, says: “While it's certainly possible to switch at any stage in your contract, you'll have to pay an early termination fee and perhaps even pay a fee for returning your provider’s equipment.

"Before switching, you should weigh up the cost of staying with your current provider and paying the increased amount versus switching to a new deal.”

It’s also worth considering that many providers will be increasing their prices in line with the rising cost of living, so check you can find a better deal before cancelling your current one.

Learn more about your broadband cancellation rights.

How to get broadband deals with no price increase

Most broadband contracts come with a built-in price increase but some providers offer fixed-price deals where the price is guaranteed to stay the same until the end of the contract.

If saving money is your goal, it makes sense for you to compare all the deals available, not just the fixed-price offers. Sometimes a deal with built-in hikes is still the cheapest overall. Luckily our broadband deals search makes it easy to compare by the full contract price as well as the monthly payment you start on.

Altnets are more likely than mainstream providers to offer fixed-price contracts, so check to see if there are any in your area.

If you really hate price changes then another option is to choose a short-term contract so you can cancel with little notice if a price rise comes in.

Every provider has to make it clear when you sign up what future price rises will be. Otherwise you have the right to exit the contract with no penalty.

What is a fixed price broadband deal?

A fixed-price broadband deal helps guarantee that the monthly price you agree to pay for your contract won’t increase during its minimum term.

Benefits include:

• Price stability - you won’t have to face unexpected price hikes
• Planning - fixed prices allow you to budget your broadband more efficiently

As an example, the altnet Hyperoptic offers fixed-price broadband deals with no price rises during the contract, providing guaranteed monthly costs for packages ranging from 50Mbps to gigabit-capable speeds, with options for broadband only or bundled with phone services.

Consider bundling broadband, TV and phone together

You might be able to get a cheaper deal by bundling your broadband, phone and digital TV into one convenient package.

But, it’s worth knowing that if your price increase only applies to your broadband, your right to cancel might only apply to that service and not to your TV package, phone line and other bundled services.

Compare broadband bundles

FAQs

Why are providers allowed to enforce mid-contract price hikes?

Under new Ofcom rules, providers can only raise prices midway through your contract if the increases are clearly specified in pounds and pence at sign-up. Providers must also specify when these rises will occur.

Providers justify a broadband increase every year so they can continue to maintain their existing level of service and invest in their infrastructure.

With many providers still implementing a broadband increase every year, you should check your contract terms carefully before signing up.

Will mid-contract price rises be banned?

No, mid-contract price rises are not going to be banned. Ofcom has brought in new rules about how providers communicate those rises, but they're still completely legal. Since 17 January 2025, providers have to make clear:

• What any future price rises will be (in pounds and pence)
• When they will come in

If they don't do this, you're not obliged to accept future price rises so you are free to leave when they announce a price rise is coming up.

If you have this information when you sign the contract, you are effectively agreeing to the future price rises and you can't leave without paying the usual exit penalties.

Can you cancel broadband if they increase the price?

Usually not, because price increases are standard and most providers flag these up clearly when you take out your contract. The exception is when they don't give you this information at the outset. As of June 2025, the only provider that doesn't give exact details of future price rises is Sky Broadband.

Which broadband providers don’t increase prices?

At the time of writing, there are numerous broadband providers that don’t enforce mid-contract price rises, including:

• Airband
• BeFibre
• Brsk broadband
• Fibrus
• LightSpeed
• Lit Fibre
• Quickline
• Trooli
• Truespeed
• YouFibre
• Zen Internet
• Zzoomm

What to do if you can’t afford your bill

If you’re struggling to pay your broadband bill, contact your provider immediately to discuss options like:

• Repayment plans
• Lower tariffs
• Maybe moving to a broadband social tariff

You can also explore independent debt advice services for further information and support.

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^[1] As of 11th March 2026, there are active broadband providers on the panel at Go.Compare

^[2] All price rise information taken from providers' websites and correct as of 17 June 2025.

• BT, About annual price changes
• EE, About annual price changes
• Plusnet, About annual price changes
• TalkTalk, Annual price update and CPI
• Virgin Media, About annual price change
• Sky, An update on our TV and broadband prices
• NOW Broadband, Changes to your NOW Broadband membership
• Three, Changes to your monthly charge
• Vodafone, Changes to the price of your plan from April 2025

^[3] Data in this section relates to broadband deals bought through Go.Compare between 1 July 2023 and 8 May 2025.

^[4] Broadband in the UK - Statistics & Facts | Statista