Three hits mobile and broadband customers with £42 price rise from April

Three hits mobile and broadband customers with £42 price rise from April Newspoint | 2026-03-02 03:39:38

Three has confirmed price risees on its mobile and broadband plans from April 1 that will see customers paying up to £42 extra per year on their bills.

The amount monthly charges will increase from April will depend on when you took your contract out with Three. For customers whose contract started on or after November 9, 2025, then charges will go up by a fixed amount based on your plan, with home broadband packages facing the biggest price hike at £3.50 per month, adding an extra £42 to annual bills. Three, which merged with Vodafone in May last year, said the annual price change will be seen on bills from April 1 onwards, with the following extra monthly charges to apply:

Voice and mobile broadband plans up to 4GB - £1.80 (or £21.60 annually)

Voice and mobile broadband plans from 5GB to 99GB - £1.90 (or £22.80 annually)

Voice and mobile broadband plans greater than 100GB - £2.30 (or £22.80 annually)

Home broadband, all tariffs - £3.50 (or £42 annually)

Smartwatch pairing plans - £1.80 (or £21.60 annually).

For customers who started a new contract or upgraded from September 2024, the following monthly price increases will apply from April 1 and onwards:

Voice and mobile broadband plans up to 4GB - £1 (or £12 annually)

Voice and mobile broadband plans from 5GB to 99GB - £1.25 (or £15 annually)

Voice and mobile broadband plans greater than 100GB - £1.50 (or £18 annually)

Home broadband, all tariffs - £2 (or £24 annually)

Smartwatch pairing plans - £1 (or £12 annually).

For customers who joined or upgraded between November 1, 2022, and September 7, 2024, and are within the minimum term of their contract on March 31, 2026, your monthly charge from April will increase by the preceding December Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation, plus 3.9%.

As the December 2025 CPI rate was 3.4%, it means this year's price increase will be 7.3% and will be reflected in bills from April 2026 onwards.

In a message to customers, Three said: "We'll contact you either via SMS, email, or letter to remind you of the increase and when this will apply. The increase you will see will be dependent on when your current contract started - this may be when you joined Three or last upgraded your account.

"We know you may also have multiple contracts with us and these may be eligible for different increases dependent on their individual start dates."

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A new ruling by Ofcom means telecoms companies are now required to set out contract price rises in pounds and pence, rather than using percentages or inflation measures, to help prevent the "nasty surprises" of inflation-based hikes.

It means phone, broadband and pay TV providers are banned from linking price increases to future rates of inflation, which often include an extra percentage increase on top, which made it almost impossible for customers to accurately estimate what they would pay.

The new rules mean future price hikes must be set out "prominently and transparently" in pounds and pence at the point of sale, but they still allow for annual mid-contract increases by a fixed amount.

So for new customers, or those renewing or upgrading, firms must tell you the exact rises that are coming in pounds and pence. For existing customers in their minimum contract term, price rises will be determined by what was in your contract when you signed up, which in most cases will be the inflation rate plus an extra percentage charge.

Three added: "Similar to many other mobile providers, our Pay Monthly plans are subject to an annual price change. The increases reflect inflationary pressures we are facing as a business including energy prices, supplier increases, and increased staffing costs.

"Despite this change, our prices remain some of the most competitive in the market and we have a range of support, including a social tariff via SMARTY, available for customers struggling with their finances."