Ernest Doku, Uswitch broadband expert, comments:
“Today’s Retail Price Index announcement confirms a 7.7% April price hike for the Virgin Media and Onestream broadband customers still facing unpredictable inflation-linked increases.
“While all providers have now adopted fixed pounds-and-pence rises for new customers, Virgin Media and Onestream were among the last to move ahead of the deadline last January, meaning a significant number of households on older contracts remain tied to the Retail Price Index.
“Following the Telecoms Consumer Charter announced last week, April 2026 will likely be the final time any customer - including those out of contract - will face an inflation-linked increase before moving to the clearer pound and pence system. However, these flat-rate rises can be a double-edged sword; a £4 monthly increase is more punishing for someone on a basic £25 plan than for those on premium packages.
“If you are nearing the end of your contract, don't wait for these hikes to hit. Out-of-contract households are currently overpaying by an average of £329 a year, so if you're happy with your service, it’s worth calling your provider to haggle for a better rate. While switching remains the most effective way to cut costs, a quick conversation with the retention team could still help you offset the April sting.”
ENDS
For more information
Harriet Atkinson | Telecoms PR Manager
harriet.atkinson@rvu.co.uk
Twitter: @UswitchPR
Notes to editors
- Switching to a new broadband deal after your initial contract has ended could save you £329 (£329.15) a year.* We calculated the average yearly cost of staying out-of-contract (£657.60) across the five most popular deals on Uswitch: Vodafone Full Fibre (500, 150, and 910) and Virgin Media (Gig1 and M125). We compared this to the average yearly cost for new customers switching to those same five deals (£295.15). This figure includes mid-contract price rises, calculated using the average price increase across these five deals (£3.70 per month) applied to the 9 months of the year following the April price hike (April to January).