- If your handset is paid off, you are probably still paying for it.
- SIM-only deals cost a fraction of a bundled contract.
- Most people buy far more data than they use.
Mobile is one of the easiest bills to cut, because so many people are on a contract that stopped making sense years ago. The two big wastes are paying for a handset you already own and paying for data you never touch.
The handset trap
A standard mobile contract bundles two things: the phone itself, paid off in instalments, and the airtime. On many older contracts, when the phone is paid off the monthly price does not drop. You just keep paying handset instalments on a handset you already own.
Providers are now required to notify you when your contract ends. If you have ignored those messages, check your account today. If you are out of contract, you are almost certainly overpaying substantially.
Some providers now split the two elements so the bill genuinely falls when the handset is paid. Check which type you have.
Work out what you actually use
Before shopping, open your account or phone settings and look at your last three months of data use. Most people are startled — heavy users of home and work wifi often use only a few gigabytes a month while paying for far more.
Do the same for minutes and texts. Unlimited everything is standard now and rarely the thing driving the price.
Buy for your realistic usage, not your worst month ever.
Go SIM-only
If you already own your phone, a SIM-only deal is the answer. They cost a fraction of a bundled contract for the same allowances.
- Rolling monthly deals let you leave any time and chase better offers. Slightly higher monthly cost, maximum flexibility.
- Twelve-month deals are usually cheaper per month but lock you in.
- Smaller networks — the virtual operators that rent capacity from the big four — often undercut them substantially while using the same masts. Check which network a provider runs on and whether it has good coverage where you live.
Keeping your number
Switching does not mean losing your number. Text PAC to 65075 and your current provider must send you a porting code, along with any early termination charge you would face. Give that code to your new provider and your number moves, normally within one working day.
If you do not want to keep the number, text STAC to 75075 instead. Either way, do not simply stop paying the old contract — cancel it properly.
When you do want a new handset
Compare the total cost, not the monthly figure. Add up every monthly payment plus any upfront fee, then compare against buying the handset outright and adding a SIM-only deal. Buying separately is very often cheaper, and it leaves you free to switch airtime whenever you like.
Other ways to cut the handset cost:
- Buy last year’s model. The price drops sharply when a new one launches, and the difference in daily use is usually marginal.
- Consider refurbished from a seller offering a proper warranty. Graded stock is often close to new.
- Sell your old handset rather than leaving it in a drawer.
- Check mid-range Android. The gap between mid-range and flagship has narrowed considerably.
Cut the extras
- Insurance. Provider handset insurance is often expensive. Check whether your home contents or packaged bank account already covers the phone before paying twice.
- Roaming. Charges for using your phone abroad returned after Brexit for many providers. Check before you travel, and look at whether your provider includes EU roaming — some still do, and it is worth real money if you travel.
- Premium numbers and subscriptions billed to your phone. Check your itemised bill for anything you do not recognise.
Consider haggling first
As with broadband, calling to cancel usually reaches a retentions team with more room to move. Have a competitor’s SIM-only price in front of you. If they match it, you save the effort of switching. If not, you switch — and you have lost nothing.
What to do this week
- Check whether you are in or out of contract.
- Look up your real data usage for the last three months.
- Compare SIM-only deals for that usage.
- Call to haggle, then switch if they will not match.
- Set a calendar reminder for when the new deal ends.
