Experts revealed you might be paying too much for your phone bill (Image: Getty)
Financial experts have revealed how to save a significant amount of money on your phone bill with some simple steps. According to (MSE), the customer advice website founded by Martin Lewis, there are some “easy” ways to cut back on your mobile phone costs.
The team at MSE explained that mobile tariffs have “plummeted” in recent years but many of us are still paying the same amount we are used to. Therefore, “inaction is costly” they said.
They said: “Mobile phone tariff costs have plummeted for new customer deals – while almost five years ago 50GB monthly data would’ve cost £13 a month, now it’s just £3 a month.
“Yet existing customer costs have risen rapidly due to hefty 10 percent plus mid-contract rises each April – so inaction is costly.”
To ensure you’re not paying more than you need to, they outlined three simple steps to take.
By sticking with the same provider for many years you might be over-paying (Image: Getty)
Send this text
Firstly you need to check if your mobile phone contract is up, meaning you can change your tariff. To do so you can text the word “INFO” for free to 85075.
MSE said: “The first thing to do is to check if you’re one of the 14 million people who are out of contract on their mobile and therefore free to cut costs by moving to a far cheaper deal. Ofcom forces firms to tell you this via a free text.
“Most get an instant response, though if you’re with Three, Smarty or iD Mobile, you’ll need to reply with your date of birth to prove identity.”
But before deciding to leave you need to check that there’s no charge for leaving the contract – which might be the case if you try to terminate early. “Some firms write their text to try and persuade you to stay, but if there’s no termination charge, you’re free to leave,” MSE added.
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Switch SIM
Changing your SIM card is another way to save money. To see what’s on offer you can use the MSE cheap SIM comparison tool at .
MSE said: “A SIM is just the (sometimes virtual) chip in the back of your phone that gives it its identity, so switch it to a cheaper one to save. Thinking, ‘But I like my signal, I’m worried about switching?’
“There are only four networks in the UK: Vodafone, Three, O2 and EE – all others piggyback on their signal. So you can just use the filters in our Cheap SIMS tool to find out which is the cheapest deal that stays on your existing signal (though if you rely on 5G, Wi-Fi calling or 4G calling, do check it does that).”
Get this code
If you are leaving your contract and signing up with a new provider but want to keep your old number you will need what’s known as a PAC code. MSE added: “To keep your number, text ‘PAC’ to 65075. Then you get a code to send to your new provider, which will transfer it over, usually in one working day.”
Other cash-saving techniques from MSE for your phone include:
- Don’t pay for more data than you need – most say they use 5GB or less
- Don’t want to switch? Haggle. Mobile firms are among the easiest to haggle with.