A major UK broadband provider has confirmed the amount by which it will increase its annual mid-contract price rises.
TalkTalk will now increase customers’ bills by £4 per month as of April 2026, which is £1 more than the current annual increase of £3. The changes come after rival broadband firms Virgin Media, BT, EE and Plusnet also announced similar increases.
Mid-contract price rises are common for broadband and mobile phone contract services. Recent changes made by regulator Ofcom mean providers now have to declare in ‘pounds and pence’ the increases customers will face each year rather than them being decided according to inflation.
Broadband companies say mid-contract price rises are necessary to invest in their products and services. But critics of the new price increases say the Ofcom rule change means firms can now charge customers more despite the pricing transparency.
“Since the move from inflation-linked price increases to ‘pounds and pence’ we have seen the lower-end packages have much higher increases in percentage terms, leaving consumers worse off than before the rules were changed,” said Sebastien Lahtinen, Director at thinkbroadband.com.
“It’s true you now know how much your cost will go up by each April, even though as a result it will go up by more than when it was inflation-linked.”
The new TalkTalk charges apply to any new or re-contracting customers who sign up to a service on or after November 16, 2025.
During the length of these customers’ contracts, bills will increase by £4 per month every April until the contracts end. So, if you sign up for a £25 per month contract today, your bills will rise to £29 per month from April 2026, and then to £33 per month in April 2027.
Existing TalkTalk customers with contracts beginning between August 12, 2024 and November 15, 2025 will stick to the old £3 price increase, while anyone signed up before August 12, 2024 are still subject to the older inflation based rules.
“We’re changing our price rise terms for new and re-contracting customers only, to help us carry on investing in our services,” a TalkTalk spokesperson told Express.co.uk. “Customers who are currently in-contract won’t see any difference, and as ever we’re always here to help with any questions or concerns.”
If you are in contract currently with TalkTalk and want to avoid the £4 increase, you may have to pay a termination fee to leave your contract early. Those out of contract have other options.
“If you’re currently out of contract and looking to renew or switch providers, it’s never been more important to compare deals and costs for the whole of your contract period,” said Ernest Doku of Uswitch. “Almost every major broadband provider has now updated its price rise rates for new customers, with some higher than others.
“It’s worth looking at if there are any regional broadband providers in your area, as some such as Trooli and YouFibre still commit to no annual increases to bills.”
When your broadband contract comes to and end, check with your provider how much you will be charged for the first out-of-contract month. Some firms use it as an opportunity to raise prices considerably. Negotiating a lower price or switching providers is often necessary to avoid bill shock.
