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
Most recent headlines
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today! By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
23/12/2025
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...
22/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...
22/12/2025
Hitting the bullseye: Sky Sports readies itself for the biggest PDC World Darts ...
22/12/2025
Unique skillset: Bringing new directors to the world of darts at The Worlds with...
22/12/2025
Gravity Media prepares for a flight of fancy with the PDC World Darts Championsh...
22/12/2025
One hundred and eighty: Gravity Media on hitting the production bullseye at the ...
22/12/2025
The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content...
22/12/2025
ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Spo...
22/12/2025
ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next ...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Paramount Scores Largest Share Increase Among Distributors as Paramount and CBS...
22/12/2025
New multi-year deal integrates Roku's data to fuel Nielsen's measurement suite
Roku gains access to Nielsen's streaming ratings, showing The Roku C...
Companies must tell customers about their best deals Add to Your Pages 
