Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Companies must tell customers about their best deals

15/02/2020

Companies must tell customers about their best deals Add to Your Pages

14 February 2020

Providers must now tell you when your contract's up, and what their best deals are

20 million customers are out of contract with many paying over the odds

Ofcom launches #InOrOut campaign to help people slash their bills today

Phone, broadband and pay-TV customers must be warned when their current contract is ending, and what they could save by signing up to a new deal, under Ofcom rules coming into force tomorrow (15 February).

Around 20 million customers are already out of contract including 8.8 million broadband customers and many are paying more than they need to.

Ofcom research reveals that, every day, 25,000 broadband customers come to the end of their contract usually leading to an automatic price rise.

How will the new notifications work?People can earn big savings on their monthly bills if they take advantage of discounts available when signing a new deal. But 16% of broadband customers don't know if they are in contract, rising to 21% of over-55s.

So Ofcom is introducing rules to ensure people can see whether they are on the best deal. Phone, broadband and pay-TV companies will have to warn customers between 10 and 40 days before their contract comes to an end.[1] These alerts sent by text, email or letter must include:

when your contract is up;

what you've been paying until now, and what you'll pay when your contract is up;

any notice period for leaving your provider; and

your provider's best deals, including any prices only available to new customers.

Anyone who is already out of contract must also be reminded they are out of contract, and told every year about their firm's best deals.

How much could people save by taking out a new deal?Last year, we found that out-of-contract broadband customers could save around £100 a year, on average, by agreeing a new deal with their existing provider. Some could save £150 or more, depending on their provider. And this does not include savings people could make on their TV package too.

Around three million out-of-contract broadband customers could actually upgrade to a higher-speed package with their provider and pay less than they do now.

Among mobile customers who buy a handset and airtime bundled together in a single contract, 1.4 million could save money by switching to a cheaper SIM-only' package at the end of their existing deal. Last year, we found that they could save £75 a year, on average; but some could save as much as £150.[2]

Many people will pay fairer prices following commitments Ofcom has secured from mobile operators and broadband providers to cut prices for out-of-contract customers. Most of these are now in effect, with some broadband commitments coming in shortly.

Lindsey Fussell, Ofcom's Consumer Group Director, said: Millions of people are out of contract right now and paying more than they need to. These new rules make it easier to grab a better deal.

But you don't need to wait to hear from your provider. Just a few minutes of your time could save you hundreds of pounds today.

Are you #InOrOut?Ofcom has launched a new campaign encouraging people to check whether they are in or out of contract, and helping them secure a better deal.

Our new dedicated advice hub walks customers through the quick and easy journey of making sure they are not paying over the odds helping to earn big savings in just three simple steps:

Its never been simpler to switchAround 30% of mobile and broadband customers are not confident in navigating the market and haven't switched in at least two years. That rises to around 40% among over-55s. So to help people get the right deal for them, Ofcom has made it simpler than ever to shop around and switch.

Last year, we put in place extra protections for broadband customers meaning they can walk away from their contract penalty-free if speeds drop below the level they were promised. We also introduced major reforms allowing mobile customers to switch operator by simply sending a free text message.

This is part of our ongoing Fairness for Customers programme, which is helping to make sure people are treated fairly by their provider at all times.

NOTES TO EDITORS1. Here is an example of an end-of-contract notification sent by text message:

2. Nearly 400,000 out-of-contract mobile customers could save more than £15 per month. Given most of these customers are out of contract for less than a year, the average annual amount this group of people could save is around £150. Source: Ofcom 2019 review of mobile handset contracts (November 2018 data).

Add to Your Pages
LINK: https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__search/s/redirect?collection=web&url=https:...
See more stories from ofcom

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

06/03/2026

Nielsen: 46 Billion Minutes of Women's Sports were Consumed in 2025*

Nielsen Highlights Women's Sports Viewership Milestones Ahead of International Women's Day on March 8 New York March 5, 2026 According to Nielsen&#...

06/03/2026

MXL Moves Into Stable Production Release

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/03/2026

LTN, MediaKind Partner on Industry Transition From C-Band to IP

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/03/2026

Roku Unveils 'Roklue' Interactive Content Discovery Feature

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/03/2026

FCC Releases Tentative Agenda for March Open Meeting

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/03/2026

ESPN to Air Animated Version of Capitals vs. Rangers NHL Game

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/03/2026

Tedial to Highlight AI-Fueled Media Lifecycle at 2026 NAB Show

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

06/03/2026

esRadio Advances with DHD RX2 Audio Production Consoles

Spanish FM and online broadcaster esRadio has selected DHD RX2 audio production consoles for use at its studio headquarters in Madrid. Part of the Libertad Digi...

06/03/2026

LucidLink launches Connect to extend instant access to da...

LucidLink, the cloud-native file streaming platform for instant, secure access to large files, today announced LucidLink Connect, a new solution that enables re...

06/03/2026

BeckTV Launches BeckFlow at 2026 NAB Show While Highlight...

At the 2026 NAB Show, BeckTV, a premier systems integrator for the broadcast industry, is launching BeckFlow, the first web-based schematic documentation platfo...

06/03/2026

Net Insight sets a New Standard for Live Media Operations...

At NAB Show 2026, Net Insight introduces Nimbra Live Intelligence defining a new category and setting a new standard for live operations: the Open Media Platfor...

06/03/2026

Interra Systems Focuses on StreamingFirst QC Monitoring a...

At the 2026 NAB Show, Interra Systems will showcase its latest advancements in automated QC, real-time monitoring, and captioning reinforcing its position as ...

06/03/2026

Riedel Communications at 2026 NAB Show

At the 2026 NAB Show, Riedel Communications opens with a clear message to the North American market: production technology does not have to be complex. This yea...

06/03/2026

LTN and MediaKind partner to deliver integrated reliable...

New partnership combines on-prem video processing with reliable IP transport to support the transition from C-Band satellite to IP distribution LTN and MediaKi...

06/03/2026

Announcing 'Barbara - Becoming Shirin David'

Back to All News Announcing Barbara - Becoming Shirin David Entertainment 06 March 2026 GlobalGermany Link copied to clipboard Available exclusively on N...

06/03/2026

F1: Bringing real Formula 1 sound to cinema

Discover how the F1 sound team turned a real Grand Prix into a cinematic experience. Director Joseph Kosinski and his team worked directly with the Formula On...

06/03/2026

Arvato Systems Joins Initiative D21 e. V.

Arvato Systems Joins Initiative D21 e. V. Shaping digital transformation together Collaboration in Germanys largest network for the digital society Membersh...

06/03/2026

ABC clients recognised in latest TAG certification release, reinforcing industry trust in digital advertising

The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG) is a global initiative dedicated to c...

06/03/2026

Death of John McHugh

We are deeply saddened to hear the very sad news of the death of our friend and colleague, John McHugh. John was an exceptionally talented creative leader who s...

06/03/2026

A Nation Holds Its Breath Again

First exclusive look at RT 's promo as Ireland prepare to take on Czechia Every Moment, Every Generation https://youtu.be/2ijo96EadLU 36 years after Geor...

06/03/2026

March 05, 2026

A new clue to how the body detects physical force Scripps Research scientists offer new insight into how the body detects light touch and how disruptions in tha...

05/03/2026

SVG GFX Forum Draws 250+ Industry Pros To Talk Creative Philosphy, AR/XR, Future of Live Sports Graphics

More than 250 sports-graphics professionals packed into The Cutting Room in New ...

05/03/2026

Cosm Atlanta Set to Open at Centennial Yards on June 10

Cosm announces that it will open its third immersive entertainment venue at downtown Atlanta's Centennial Yards on June 10, 2026. Its first public event wil...

05/03/2026

The CW Network to Broadcast Six Banana Ball Games During 2026 Season

Following last year's broadcast television debut, The CW Network is growing its partnership with the Savannah Bananas, announcing that it will be the exclus...

05/03/2026

AT&T Named Founding Partner and Official Connectivity Provider of TGL Presented by SoFi

TGL presented by SoFi, the primetime, men's team golf league, announces AT&T...

05/03/2026

Netflix Goes Live with Ateme's TITAN

Ateme, which specializes in video compression software, announces that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Netflix for the deployment of its TITAN L...

05/03/2026

NEP Launches Software-Based OB Unit for Scalable Live Production Across Europe

As part of its strategy to deliver flexible and scalable media solutions, NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has redesigned an outside broadcast (OB) unit to help b...

05/03/2026

Net Insight's Nimbra Edge and Nimbra 400 Now Verified for YouTube Live

Net Insight's Nimbra Edge and the Nimbra 400 series are now included in YouTube's Live verified encoders list. This confirms that the solutions have bee...

05/03/2026

Audinate Launches Dante Director Professional: Enterprise-Grade Management Platform for Distributed AV Networks

Audinate, the creator of the Dante audio networking platform, announces the laun...

05/03/2026

LiveU Marks First Large-Scale Global Deployment of AI-Driven LIQ at Winter Games

LiveU announces the first large-scale deployment of its AI-driven LiveU IQ (LIQ) technology at a global, multi-venue sporting event, setting a new benchmark for...

05/03/2026

SportsEngine Play to Stream 7 on 7 National Football Recruiting Tournament March 7-8

SportsEngine Play, a first-of-its-kind subscription streaming service for captur...

05/03/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Madison McCarter, Michigan State University

The senior from small-town Pennsylvania has had a huge impact on the Spartans' B1G Student U program In the live-sports-video industry, the future is brigh...

05/03/2026

ESPN, Disney, Pixar Team Up With NHL for Inside Out Classic' Animated Alt-Cast on April 5

Real-time animated presentation of Capitals-Rangers game blends tracking data, o...

05/03/2026

The Silicon Bowl Effect: How Big Tech is Reinventing the Sports Fan Experience

With Super Bowl LX taking place in Santa Clara, all eyes were not only on the field - but on the future of fandom itself. New technologies are being introduced ...

05/03/2026

World Baseball Classic 2026: MLB Network Provides World-Feed Infrastructure to Venues, Broadcasters

The network aims for a uniform production while accommodating tech differences i...

05/03/2026

World Baseball Classic 2025: FOX Sports Deploys World Feed Plus,' Adds Studio Presence for Semis and Final

MLB Network produces the host broadcast, and FOX layers in cameras, studio prese...

05/03/2026

Film Festival Watch: See These 18 Sundance Institute-Supported Docs at the 2026 True/False Film Fest

Barbara Hammer appears in Barbara Forever by Brydie O'Connor, an official se...

05/03/2026

Spotify's Creator Milestone Awards Honor the Latest Slate of Record-Breaking Podcasts

A little over a year ago, Spotify introduced the quarterly Creator Milestone Awa...

05/03/2026

SBS and Mint Pictures to chronicle the Bondi terror attack in major feature documentary

SBS and Mint Pictures to chronicle the Bondi terror attack in major feature docu...

05/03/2026

Winter Olympic stars return to the ice for ISU World Figure Skating Championships broadcast live on SBS

Winter Olympic stars return to the ice for ISU World Figure Skating Championship...

05/03/2026

Rohde & Schwarz enables rapid validation of next-gen Wi-Fi 8 networking platforms, including 5x5 MIMO capabilities

Rohde & Schwarz enables rapid validation of next-gen Wi-Fi 8 networking platform...

05/03/2026

Rohde & Schwarz acquires Software Radio Systems (SRS), specialists in software defined mobile communications solutions

Rohde & Schwarz acquires Software Radio Systems (SRS), specialists in software d...

05/03/2026

The Next Frontier of Quality Control - Verifying Content...

Quality control (QC) has long been a gatekeeper of technical fidelity. Editors and technicians have adhered to a simple, disciplined checklist: bitrate, resolut...

05/03/2026

Synamedia and Asport deliver global-scale streaming for G...

Leading video software provider Synamedia today announced it has partnered with Swiss sports technology specialist, Asport to deliver global live streaming for ...

05/03/2026

Advanced Systems Group Promotes Gretchen Taipale to Vice...

Advanced Systems Group, LLC (ASG), a technology and services provider for media creatives and content owners, announced the promotion of Gretchen Taipale to Vic...