BT customers pay highest fees to escape broadband price rises

BT BROADBAND customers are paying the highest exit fees to escape doubledigit price rises that start in April.

Home internet users are facing bill increases of as much as 14pc, amounting to more than £50 a year on average.

But BT, which is being investigated by the telecoms regulator over the notice it gave customers of the increases, also charges customers who want to leave mid-contract the highest fee of the biggest providers.

A BT customer would have to pay £219, on average, to leave their contract early, according to Which?, the consumer group. Bills will increase in April by an average of £66 a year, or 14.4pc.

Many broadband firms – such as BT, EE, Plusnet, Shell Energy Broadband, Talktalk and Vodafone – raise prices in April in line with the consumer prices index plus 3 to 4 percentage points.

The BT Group, which also owns brands EE and Plusnet, has confirmed that it will go ahead with 14.4pc price rises for most customers. Shell Energy Broadband customers will face the second highest exit penalties, at £160 on average, followed by EE and Plusnet customers, who will pay £150 and £145 respectively.

Talktalk customers pay the lowest exit fees at £122, while Vodafone customers are charged £124.

EE customers are facing the highest price rises in April, at £67 a year, on average. Vodafone, Talktalk and Plusnet customers could pay an extra £55, £54 and £53 a year respectively. For Shell Energy Broadband, the increase was £50.

Rocio Concha, of Which?, said: “It’s hugely concerning that many broadband customers could find themselves trapped in a lose-lose situation where they either have to accept exorbitant – and difficult to justify – mid-contract price hikes this spring or pay costly exit fees to leave their contract early and find a better deal.”

Which? is calling on providers to let their customers leave without penalty if they face mid-contract price rises.

Ofcom, the regulator, is investigating whether mid-contract price rises were set out clearly enough to customers before they signed up.

Many broadband customers’ bills already went up by 10pc last year.

Not all broadband providers are putting their customers in this situation. Sky and Virgin traditionally allow customers to haggle or leave when they levy mid-contract price rises. Zen Internet, Hyperoptic and SSE promise not to raise prices during customers’ minimum contract period.

A spokesman for BT said: “We take seriously our responsibility to ensure our services are accessible to the widest group of customers possible through our social tariffs.”