Are you overpaying for your phone bill?

September 22, 2023 • Chris Bardsley

Are you overpaying for your phone bill?

Did you know people in Britain could be paying £530 million too much for their mobile phone bills every year?

To make sure you’re not overpaying for your handset, at Fair for You we’ve put together these handy hints and tips so you know exactly what to look out for.

How can I be overpaying?

According to Citizens Advice, 58% of the average monthly mobile bill is to cover the cost of the handset. But because some phone companies are bundling together the cost of minutes, text, data and the handset too, it can make it very tricky for customers to know when they’ve paid off the handset in full.

This means that once your mobile device is paid off, more than half of the phone bill is due to a form of overcharging - and that’s sadly the case for millions of people.

Help is at hand

Fortunately, finding out whether you’ve been overpaying is easier than you might think!

O2 have put together this helpful tool which can let you know if you’re being overcharged in a matter of minutes.

How to save money on your mobile phone bill

If you decide to change your mobile phone tariff for a cheaper deal, here are a few tips to help you get more for your money.

  • Think about what you really use every month

If you’ve come to the end of your contract, think about how many minutes or how much data you actually use every month.

If you find out you have paid off your handset already, but are happy to keep hold of it, check you’re not paying a higher tariff than you need to.

  • Sim-only may be the way forward

You may be able to save money with a cheap sim-only deal if you already own a mobile phone handset, or if you can get one cheaply.

Already have the phone? All you need to think about is the cost of calls, texts and data.

  • Refurbished could be best

A refurbished handset could not only save you money, it’s also better for the planet than buying one brand new.

Worried about choosing second hand? Don’t be - refurbished phones from trusted retailers will have been thoroughly checked by experts and had any broken parts replaced.

  • Get ready to haggle!

Do your research before speaking to your current phone company so you can be fully prepared with details of the best deals you’ve found elsewhere.

Make sure you also mention any issues you’ve had with your current provider, such as days when the network has been down, or any signal problems.

Not happy with the offer they give you? Say you’re prepared to leave your current provider and go somewhere else. You may be surprised at what they offer!

  • Sometimes it’s best to switch

If you’re struggling to get the right deal from your current mobile phone company, you may be best checking the latest deals across price comparison websites and making the switch.

Fair for You is here to help!

Decided to switch? Take a look at our blog post on How to Save Money When You Switch Mobile Phone Providers for handy hints on what to do next.

Or if you want to shop for a new or refurbished mobile handset with flexible repayments to suit you, the Good Payers Club from Fair for You will give you access to the latest tech from retailers you can trust.

To find out how you can become a member, visit our dedicated Good Payer’s Club page.

Please note we’ve used links to external websites. Although we make every effort to ensure these links are accurate, up to date and relevant, Fair for You Enterprise CIC cannot take responsibility for pages maintained by external providers. Views expressed on external sites we link to are not necessarily those of Fair for You Enterprise CIC. If you come across any external links that don’t work, we would be grateful if you could report them to the web content team.

The content of this blog does not constitute personal financial advice, and the views expressed in it are those of the contributor or author, which may not necessarily represent or reflect the views expressed by Fair for You Enterprise CIC.


This entry was posted in Finance, Budgeting Tips and Blog
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