Plusnet has increased prices for its broadband customers by £4 a month — that's an extra £48 every year for the same download speeds and Wi-Fi router.

The price hike applies to most new and re-contracting broadband subscribers from today (August 5). However, if you're still within the minimum contract term of your Plusnet broadband deal, usually 24 months for most internet plans, you won't see a change to your monthly Direct Debit until March 31, 2026.

The £4 price rise follows record increases from other brands owned by parent company, BT.

New BT and EE customers who sign up for broadband from July 31 onwards can also expect a monthly price rise of £4, the £20.8bn telecom brand announced at the end of last month. Like those on Plusnet, this'll come into effect on March 31 next year, then again on the same date in 2027, if you're still within the minimum contract term.

If you're a new broadband customer — or re-negotiate a new deal with the same supplier — the price rise kicks in now.

The last time BT, Plusnet, and EE announced a mid-contract price rise it was set at £3 per month. If you have a television package bundled with your broadband service, you'll see the deal increase by an extra £2 per month.

GETTY IMAGES – PICTURE POSED BY MODELS |

If you're still in the minimum contract term with your current internet supplier, there's nothing you can do to stop the upcoming price hikes — you'll just have to start paying the higher costs each month

Likewise, any handsets and airtime plans — especially relevant for those with EE, since this is primarily a mobile network — will also be subject to a price rise of £4 a month too. If you have a SIM-only or Flex Pay deal, you'll see a slightly lower price hike of £2.50 from April next year.

BT is the most popular broadband provider in the UK, with over 10,000,000 customers nationwide when combined with EE. This is only the second time that BT has announced new "pounds and pence" price rises for its customers after regulator . The tough new rules, , are designed to prevent the "nasty surprises" of inflation-based hikes.

OFCOM PRESS OFFICE |

Before introducing the new rules for telecom brands, Ofcom published the above example to demonstrate how broadband companies should display mid-contract price rises following the shake-up

Ofcom decided to outlaw the practice — used almost universally by nationwide broadband suppliers, with Sky Broadband the only high-profile exception — as it made it almost impossible for customers to accurately calculate the cost of their monthly bills throughout the 12- or 24-month lifecycle of their contract.

Most broadband firms included an extra percentage increase on top of the latest measures of inflation to calculate the annual price increases. This complicated the process of comparing firms when shopping around for a new deal, Ofcom stated.

With the latest shake-up, inflation will have no bearing on your broadband bills. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you can necessarily expect to see smaller price rises on your broadband. In fact, with inflation rates tipped to continue to fall in the coming months, subscribers could experience higher increases than they would've seen under the previous system.

Research from Uswitch shows the average monthly broadband bills for these brands are as follows:

The incoming £4 price rise for all of these subscribers represents a rise of between 12.6% and 15.5% – significantly higher than current inflation of 3.6%, Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at Uswitch has stated.

“From 31 July, EE Sim-only and Flex Pay airtime mobile customers signing up for new deals will see a £2.50 monthly increase applied in March 2025. For those taking out EE’s cheapest £18 per month Sim-only plan, this is the equivalent of a notable 13.8% hikem," Doku added.

“This change only applies to customers taking out new contracts, so if you are currently a BT, Plusnet or EE customer and your plan is up for renewal before March 2026 you should shop around for other options. Many regional broadband providers such as YouFibre and Trooli and mobile providers including Lebara and Smarty don’t raise prices mid-contract."

For those who rely on Virgin Media, Sky Broadband, TalkTalk and other prominent brands for their broadband connections, the Uswitch expert added: "BT’s price updates have often set a precedent for other providers to follow suit. If this trend continues, the telecoms industry runs the risk of creating its own, accelerated rate of inflation."

BT will not increase prices on customers in financially vulnerable circumstances who rely on EE Basics or BT Home Essentials packages.

Reacting to the announcement, Which? director of policy and advocacy Rocio Concha said: “It’s shocking that BT is choosing to increase its mid-contract price rises above the rate of inflation for any new customers who sign up for broadband packages from BT, EE or Plusnet from 31st July.

“Any out-of-contract BT, EE and Plusnet customers who aren’t happy with these hikes should vote with their feet and switch to a cheaper deal. We’d always recommend carefully weighing up the total costs of any new contract to ensure it offers value for money and you’re aware of any possible increases.”

OPENREACH PRESS OFFICE | Virgin Media doesn't rely on broadband cables maintained by Openreach, which is owned and operated by BT. Instead, it has its own broadband network, which connects to over 16.1 million homes in the UK

If you’re in the minimum contract term of your broadband package, unfortunately, there’s no way to swerve these price increases when they kick-in early next year – you'll just have to stomach the higher bills and try to renegotiate a better deal at the end of your contract.

Most minimum contract terms last between 12- or 24-months after you initially signed-up. After that, you’ll be able to renegotiate a new deal with the same provider or switch to another brand.

Some broadband suppliers will let you begin the renegotiation early, you won't have the benefit of switching to a new provider and benefitting from the best rates it ofders — usually reserved to tempt new customers.

Switching between different broadband suppliers remains the best way to lower your monthly bills.

Thankfully, Ofcom has worked hard to ensure it's easier than ever before. Thanks to the introduction of , it's possible to jump between brands that rely on BT-owned Openreach infrastructure (Sky Broadband, BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk, Vodafone, and others) and those who own and maintain their own full-fibre cables (Virgin Media O2, Hyperoptic, CityFibre, and others) with your new provider handling all paperwork.

You only need to contact the new broadband firm to initiate the change. It'll handle all aspects of the switch-over, including terminating the existing contract and organising the installation date for the new broadband supplier.

The streamlined new sign-up process eliminates the need for you to give 30 days' notice to the existing provider. Not only that, but it removes the stress of trying to sync-up the cut-off date from the old provider to the installation date from the new broadband firm — minimising the time without an internet connection.

Billing and activation dates will now be coordinated between the broadband operators in the background, further reducing the administrative burden. Best of all, if your new internet provider is unable to connect you on the date agreed, you’ll receive compensation. There's no need to take action, the money is sent automatically.

Discussing the latest price rises for its broadband subscribers, a spokesperson for BT said: “We are very supportive of Ofcom’s requirement to show upfront pounds and pence charges. EE was the first provider to introduce this pricing model, offering EE customers a predictable long-term view of their contract terms.

"Our pricing approach is designed to be clear for our customers.

“We continue to invest in our business, building on 11 years as the best network to better serve our customers with a reliable and quality connection as we roll out the fastest speed technology to 30 million homes by the end of the decade. We’re focused on providing value and customer satisfaction, making new technologies available to our customers such as 5G standalone and WiFi 7."

On about the incoming price rises, Plusnet states: "We know that your home relies on a brilliant connection. Whether it’s through your mobile or broadband service, it’s more important than ever to keep everyone and everything connected.

"Our annual price change helps us continue to invest to bring you a better, more reliable experience and the best value for your money. It’s also important as our own costs continue to increase, so the price change means we can continue to maintain the best networks and provide customer service in more ways than ever before."

Additional Reporting By Josie Clarke, PA Consumer Affairs Correspondent