A real change from March, still worth acting on now
Back on 31 March 2026, BT and EE quietly changed how price rises work for a large chunk of their broadband customer base — specifically, anyone whose original contract was more than two years old and had already run past its minimum term. If that's you, and you haven't done anything about it since, it's worth five minutes now, because the same change that raised your price also means you're free to leave without penalty.
Here's exactly what happened, and what's actually worth doing about it.
What actually changed
Before this, customers who'd been out of contract for a while — anyone who signed up before BT and EE introduced their newer "pounds and pence" pricing model in April 2024 — were still on the old system, where annual price rises were linked to inflation (CPI) plus an extra percentage on top. Based on December 2025's CPI figure, that formula would have worked out to roughly a 7.3% annual increase.
From 31 March 2026, BT moved those customers onto the same flat, fixed increase used on newer contracts: £4 a month for broadband, regardless of what you're actually paying. BT framed this as a transparency improvement, aligned with Ofcom's push toward clear pounds-and-pence pricing rather than inflation-linked formulas that are harder for customers to predict.
Whether this actually made you better or worse off depends on your bill
Because the new £4 rise is flat rather than percentage-based, the real impact varies a lot depending on what you were paying beforehand. On a typical £25.99/month entry-level service, a £4 rise works out to roughly 15% — meaningfully more than the old CPI-linked formula would have applied for 2026 specifically. If you were on a considerably more expensive plan — roughly £55 or more a month — you likely came out ahead under the new flat-rate system compared to what the old inflation-linked formula would have charged.
Either way, the more important point isn't which formula was technically better — it's what the change actually enables you to do next.
The part worth acting on: you're free to switch
This is the genuinely useful takeaway, and it's easy to miss buried in a bill notification: because this pricing change only applied to customers who were already out of their minimum contract term, being affected by it means you are, by definition, free to switch providers right now without paying an early exit fee. If you've been meaning to shop around but never got round to it, this is confirmation that nothing is holding you back.
Once you're out of contract with any provider — not just BT or EE — you're typically moved onto a more expensive standard rate anyway, on top of whatever annual rise applies. Staying put after your minimum term ends is, for most people, close to the worst financial position to be in: no contract protection, and no fresh-customer pricing either.
Worth considering a provider that doesn't do this at all
If avoiding this entire situation next time round matters to you, it's worth knowing that not every UK broadband provider raises prices mid-contract in the first place. Among the providers GadgetRank compares, Your Co-op Broadband guarantees a fixed price for the whole contract term — no annual rise, no pounds-and-pence increase, no surprises. It's not always the cheapest headline price on day one, but it removes this exact situation from the equation entirely, which is worth a real premium for anyone who'd rather not think about their broadband bill again for two years.
Our full guide to picking the right broadband package covers this trade-off — and every other provider we compare — in more depth, including real current pricing across all five providers on GadgetRank.
It's not just broadband — mobile and TV changed too
Worth knowing if you're a BT Group customer across multiple services: the same shift affected EE mobile and BT TV pricing too, not just broadband. Out-of-contract EE mobile SIM-only and airtime customers saw a £2.50 a month rise, bundled handset and airtime plans rose £4 a month, and BT TV customers saw a £2 a month increase — all from the same 31 March 2026 date, under the same logic. If you bundle broadband with mobile or TV through BT or EE, it's worth checking all three, not just your broadband line, since each moved separately and the same "you're free to switch" logic applies to each.
How to actually check your contract status
If you're not sure whether you're in or out of contract, the fastest way to check is your online account with your provider — most show a clear contract end date, or a "you are out of contract" notice directly on your billing dashboard. Your most recent bill or renewal email should also state it explicitly. If you genuinely can't find it, a quick call to your provider will confirm it in a couple of minutes — and asking the question doesn't commit you to anything, so there's no downside to checking even if you end up deciding to stay.
What to actually do right now
If you're a BT or EE broadband customer and you're not certain whether you're in or out of contract, it's worth checking directly — your latest bill or online account will show your contract end date. If you're out of contract:
- Compare current deals across every provider GadgetRank tracks, not just BT or EE's own retention offer
- Ask about a loyalty or retention deal if you'd rather stay — providers often have better pricing available for existing customers who ask than what shows on the public renewal page
- Switch if the numbers favour it — since you're free to do so penalty-free, there's no cost to at least checking what's available
Compare live prices across every broadband provider GadgetRank tracks on our broadband page before deciding whether to switch or stay.
Related reading: How to pick the right broadband package · Your Co-op Broadband and Mobile Review 2026 · Compare SIM only plans · Compare travel eSIMs · Compare phone contracts · Sell your old phone · Buy refurbished phones · All buying guides
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