Is your broadband provider guilty of stealth ‘loyalty penalty’ price rises?
Citizens Advice has claimed that many of the UK’s biggest ISPs impose ‘loyalty penalties’ on long-term broadband customers.
According to the charity, the increases come into effect when introductory offers end, with prices rising by 43% on average a year, or £113 every 12 months.
Which might not be a massive shock to the tech-savvy – introductory deals are, after all, just that – but the report notes that over a third of customers were unaware the price hikes were being implemented, with the research adding that older and poorer households were most likely to get stung.
In all,
Here’s a breakdown of the ‘loyalty penalties’, according to Citizens Advice’s findings:
- BT: 12 month contract – £198 (67%)
- Sky: 12 month contract – £120 (53%)
- EE: 18 month contract – £90 (36%)
- TalkTalk: 24 months – £66 (28%)
Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, commented:
“Loyal broadband customers are being stung by big price rises once their fixed deal ends.
“The government has rightly put energy firms on warning for how they treat loyal customers – the actions of broadband firms warrant similar scrutiny.”
These ‘loyalty penalties’ claimed by Citizens Advice would be in addition to the annual increases imposed by most broadband providers – in the last 12 months, Sky, Virgin, TalkTalk and EE have all increased their prices.
Related: Best routers
What do you make of ‘loyalty penalties’? Share your thoughts in the comments below.