Broadband Price Rises and Mid-Contract Changes

How we put this guide together

To put this guide together, we checked the price rise rules and exit rights against Ofcom's consumer guide to telecoms price rises, its July 2024 statement banning inflation-linked rises, its end-of-contract notification rules, its guide to choosing broadband and its April 2026 update on complaints.

How mid-contract price rises work

Many broadband contracts let the provider raise your monthly price once a year, usually in March or April. For years these rises were tied to inflation plus an extra percentage, which made the real increase hard to predict when you signed up.

Ofcom banned that approach for new contracts from 17 January 2025. Any rise written into a contract must now be set out in pounds and pence, prominently and before you sign up, along with the date it takes effect. A price shown as £30 a month, for example, might be listed as rising to £31.50 the following April.

The rules make rises predictable, not optional. A rise that was set out clearly when you signed up is part of your contract, so leaving early because of it usually still means paying exit fees.

Contracts signed before 17 January 2025

The ban only applies to new contracts. If you signed up before 17 January 2025, your contract might still include a rise linked to inflation or set out as a percentage, typically inflation plus around 3.9% applied each spring.

To find out which rule applies to you, check your contract start date and the price change terms in your provider's app or account. Your end-of-contract notification will also tell you when your current contract ends, so you know how long the older terms last.

When you can leave without exit fees

You have the right to leave mid-contract without paying exit fees if your provider raises the price and your contract did not say by how much, or raises it by more than the amount set out in your contract.

In either case, your provider must tell you at least 30 days before the increase takes effect. From that point you have 30 days to leave. You can take a new contract with the same provider or switch to a different one, and you will not pay exit fees either way.

You can also move to a social tariff without a penalty, even in contract, if your provider offers one and you are eligible. Social tariffs are cheaper deals for people on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and certain other benefits, and they have no mid-contract price rises.

What happens when your contract ends

Providers often raise the main monthly price when your minimum term ends, separately from any mid-contract rise.

Your provider must send an end-of-contract notification by text, email or letter between 10 and 40 days before your contract ends. It shows what you have been paying, what you will pay afterwards and the provider's best deals, including those only offered to new customers. If you are already out of contract, they must remind you once a year.

Once you are out of contract, you can switch or sign a new deal without exit fees. Our guide on how to switch broadband provider explains how One Touch Switch works.

How to avoid a price rise

1. 1

   Check your postcode. Enter your postcode to see the deals and providers available at your address.

2. 2

   Find your dates. Note your contract end date and the price rise terms in your account, so you know when you are free to move.

3. 3

   Compare fixed-price deals. Several providers offer contracts with no mid-contract rises. Compare the total cost over the full term, and see how we compare for how deals are ranked.

4. 4

   Ask your provider to match. Tell your current provider what you have found and ask whether they will match or beat it before you switch.

5. 5

   Check for a social tariff. If you claim Universal Credit, Pension Credit or certain other benefits, a social tariff avoids mid-contract rises altogether.