Most big mobile providers put their prices up every spring, even in the middle of a contract. Whether you can leave without a fee depends on one thing: what your contract told you before you signed. This guide shows how to check your own position, what the main providers did in April 2026, and what the rules allow.
Check your own contract first
- Find your contract summary or welcome email and look for the rise. It should be written as an amount in pounds and pence with a date.
- Add each yearly rise to your monthly price for every year you will pay it. For a phone contract, our guide to how the phone and plan are priced together shows what sits in the monthly figure.
- Note when your minimum term ends. Providers often raise the main monthly price at that point, so check your contract status and read any notification.
- Set a reminder. If your provider writes to you about a change, you have a short window to act, as explained below.
What the rules say
Since 17 January 2025, providers cannot write inflation linked or percentage based rises into new contracts. If a contract includes a rise, the provider must state it clearly in pounds and pence, with the date, before you sign up. Advertising rules support this. Adverts must show the full future price in pounds and pence, and the existence of a rise must be as prominent as the starting price.
That makes rises easier to see, but it did not ban them. A rise that is properly written into your contract is part of the deal, so leaving early still costs the usual fee.
When you can leave without a fee
Ofcom’s rule is that your provider must give you at least 30 days’ notice, and let you leave without penalty within that window, if either of these applies:
- Your contract does not say how much the price can rise.
- The provider raises the price by more than the contract set out.
You can then choose a new contract with the same provider, or move to another one, with no exit fee. If the notice gives you less than 30 days, that is a reason to complain.
What happened in April 2026
O2 told existing customers in autumn 2025 that its April 2026 rise would be larger than the one in their contracts. Ofcom said it was disappointed and that the move went against the spirit of its rules. The regulator also said customers could leave penalty free, and pointed out how to do it. The government then asked Ofcom to look at the rules again.
| Provider | April 2026 rise on mobile and SIM only plans |
|---|---|
| EE | £2.50 on plans taken from July 2025. £1.50 on plans from April 2024 to July 2025. |
| O2 | Up to £2.50, up from £1.80 |
| Vodafone | £2.50, or £1.50 on Basics plans, for plans taken from 12 November 2025. Older plans have lower fixed amounts. |
| Three | From £1.80 for new plans, set by data allowance and start date |
| Sky Mobile | £1.50 for most customers, from 14 February 2026 |
| Tesco Mobile | Set at sign up. Clubcard Price deals are frozen. |
Check your own contract, since the figure depends on when you joined and what plan you chose. Customers on social tariffs are exempt at Vodafone and O2.
Older contracts
Contracts started before the rule change can still carry inflation linked rises. A common version is CPI plus 3.9%. With CPI at 3.4% in December 2025, that gave a rise of 7.3% in April 2026. These customers have no special exit right, because the formula was shown at the point of sale. Look at what an upgrade does to your rise schedule if you are close to the end of your term.
Plans without yearly rises
Some brands say they hold prices. Lebara says it never raises prices mid contract. Talkmobile and ASDA Mobile advertise fixed prices on SIM only plans. iD Mobile says its SIM only plans have no annual rise, though its handset plans do. giffgaff says its 18 month plans stay at one price. Check each plan’s terms before you sign. Our guide to brands that say they hold prices lists more of them.
One month plans, such as rolling plans with no yearly rise, avoid the issue because you can leave at any time. They can still change price, but you are free to go. When picking a term, see choosing a SIM only length to avoid rises.
If you decide to leave
Ask for your switching code the same day, because the window is short. Our guide to switching after a rise notice shows the steps. To compare options, use deals that show planned rises, and check the yearly figure before you choose.
What may change
In November 2025, the Chancellor and the Technology Secretary asked Ofcom for an interim review of the January 2025 rules by spring 2026 and a full review in 2027. They also asked it to review whether the 30 day notice rule lets people leave easily enough. A bill to ban mid contract rises has been put forward in Parliament, but no ban is in place.
FAQs
Do social tariffs get price rises?
Not at Vodafone or O2. Vodafone says its Essentials and VOXI For Now plans are exempt, and O2 says the same for its social tariffs.
Can a rolling plan go up in price?
Yes, but you can leave. If the contract does not set out the increase, the provider must give 30 days’ notice, and let you go without a fee.
Will my price rise again when my contract ends?
Often. Providers commonly raise the main monthly price once the minimum term ends. Look for the end of contract notice and compare other deals before you accept.