BT and EE have hiked mid-contract price rises for customers taking out a new contract from today.

New customers who sign up for broadband from July 31 will see their monthly price rise by £4 mid-way through their contract. This will come into effect on March 31, 2026, then again on March 31, 2027.

The previous mid-contract price rise was £3 a month. Meanwhile, Plusnet customers will also be subject to a mid-contract price rise of £4 a month from August 5.

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EE, BT and Plusnet mobile customers will also be hit with higher mid-contract price rises. If you are a Sim only or Flex Pay customer, your contract price will rise by £2.50 a month from April, while bundled handset and airtime plan customers will face a £4 rise. It comes after a major broadband provider introduced a new £60 charge and issued a deadline to act.

A spokesperson for BT, which owns both Plusnet and EE, said: “We are very supportive of Ofcom’s requirement to show upfront pounds and pence charges.

"EE was the first provider to introduce this pricing model, offering EE customers a predictable long-term view of their contract terms. Our pricing approach is designed to be clear for our customers.“

They added: "We continue to invest in our business, building on 11 years as the best network to better serve our customers with a reliable and quality connection as we roll out the fastest speed technology to 30million homes by the end of the decade.

"We’re focused on providing value and customer satisfaction, making new technologies available to our customers such as 5G standalone and WiFi 7."

Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch.com, said: “BT’s price updates have often set a precedent for other providers to follow suit. If this trend continues, the telecoms industry runs the risk of creating its own, accelerated rate of inflation.

“Based on our research, where the average BT customer pays £31.50, EE customer £29.20 and Plusnet customer £25.80 for home broadband, this represents a staggering rise of between 12.6% and 15.5% - significantly higher than current inflation of 3.6%.

“From 31 July, EE SIM only and Flex Pay airtime mobile customers signing up for new deals will see a £2.50 monthly increase applied in March 2025. For those taking out EE's cheapest £18 per month SIM-only plan, this is the equivalent of a notable 13.8% hike.

“This change only applies to customers taking out new contracts, so if you are currently a BT, Plusnet or EE customer and your plan is up for renewal before March 2026 you should shop around for other options.”

If you're out of contract, compare prices online to see if you can get a better deal elsewhere. Check how many minutes and texts you're currently using, or your broadband speed, as many people pay for higher allowances that they don't end up using.

If you don't want to leave your current provider, try haggling your existing bill. When haggling, explain the better deals you've seen elsewhere then ask if the company can match or beat that price.

The best time to try and negotiate a better deal is near the end of your contract or, sometimes when a price rise has been announced. If you claim benefits, check if you can save money by signing up for a cheaper social tariff.