Pounds and Pence price increase

[MGSteve]

I've just had the email through about the price increase from March. I have 3 sim-only accounts with EE and have since around 2020, so all out of the tie-in period. 

It appears that EE have changed the way they are increasing prices, away from the CPI+ 3.9% (roughly 7% total it appears) to a flat, in my case, £2.50 a line.

However, when I work out the price under the old system, it would have 'only' gone up by 95p. So under the 'clearer for the customer' increase, they've also more than doubled the increase.

I'm not sure how they can retrospectively change a contract I've agreed to - sure, I'm out of the tie-in, but that doesn't give them the ability to change T&Cs I agreed to without my consent.

I think it's about time I changed providers, but this post is just an FYI - check it out for yourself and if you'll on more than a £35(ish) a month contract, you will be paying more under these changes. As mine are sim only, 2 are around £14 and the one is mid £20s, the fixed price increase is more than the old system.

[bristolian]

You can partly thank Ofcom, the industry regulator, for this. When double-digit inflation hit, the resultant price increases attracted a lot of complaints, and the answer is apparently to "simplify" this to fixed-price increases to provide customers with certainty.

You're absolutely right that this inevitably penalises lower-priced plans to a greater extent. The answer to how an operator can change your plan is that you are long-since out of your minimum-term, but if you weren't then 30days notice can be served penalty-free.

There are numerous providers out there who make PR out of no-price-rises, but they may well have drawbacks elsewhere, which naturally they won't highlight.

[XRaySpeX]

The Pounds and Pence price increase should only apply to contracts (incl. upgrades) taken out since about Nov. 2024. Had you upgraded any of your plans since then? Otherwise for contracts taken out before about Nov 2024 (& not changed) the CPI+ price increase should still apply.

[bristolian]

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@XRaySpeX wrote:

The Pounds and Pence price increase should only apply to contracts (incl. upgrades) taken out since about Nov. 2024.

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There are moves to shift legacy customers from percentage-based increases to flat-rate ones - https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2026/01/bt-and-ee-to-shift-legacy-uk-customers-to-pounds-and-p... 

A relative who "received" a change of ownership plan that was easily 7-8 years old, but took it over April or so 2025, has received notification of flat-rate. All 3 of mine pre-date the 2024 cutoff and I've not received anything.... yet.

[cassmtf]

All mine pre-date 2024 but I got an email that EE is moving the numbers. "For all of your numbers, we’ve moved you to our latest pounds and pence terms."

[MGSteve]

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@XRaySpeX wrote:

Otherwise for contracts taken out before about Nov 2024 (& not changed) the CPI+ price increase should still apply.

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That's categorically incorrect, sadly. The lady in the complaints team said that it applied to everyone, even those on out of lock-in contracts.

Clearly EE want to purge their old longstanding customers, which is a shame.

[garybs29]

Yes they can change the t&c's, it's written into them. They have to give you the right to leave though as well so if they are no issues

[TheMog]

I have two numbers and I was bothered by the Monthly Increase...

Monthly Increase £1.74
Monthly Increase £2.50

Does this mean that EE will increase the bill every month by those amounts?
if so, it will add £50 to my bill each year!

[XRaySpeX]

@TheMog : These increases are not cumulative. It means what you'll pay this year (after 31 Mar.) will be those amounts more than what you paid before. But it does add about £50 to your bills in total over the year.

[TheMog]

Thanks Xray for putting my mind at rest! So they better re-word that to Annual Increase.