BROADBAND customers could pay £150 more than expected due to “unpredictable” mid-contract price rises, Which? warns.
It has called on regulator Ofcom to ban the practice with many facing increases of eight to ten per cent in 2024.
That is on top of uplifts of more than 14 per cent this year.
The consumer group analysed hikes from top providers on their 18 and 24-month deals.
Based on average amounts from the Which? 2023 broadband survey, BT and EE customers who took out a contract in January 2023 could see some of the highest average price hikes of £147.43 and £147.31, while Vodafone and Plusnet customers could see rises of £122.38 and £117.87 respectively.
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TalkTalk customers could see a smaller hike of £76.09 on average over the course of shorter 18-month contracts.
Shell Energy Broadband did not apply its 2023 inflation-linked price hikes of 12.5% to customers who joined from January to March 2023.
However, if a Shell Energy customer joined before January 2023 then, based on average amounts from the 2023 broadband survey, they would pay an extra £45.27 a year from Spring 2023 to Spring 2024.
Virgin Media did not use inflation-linked price hikes in 2023 but some customers' prices did increase by an average of 13.8% per cent due to ad hoc price rises, according to Which?
According to Virgin Media, customers who signed up after November 2022 would not have faced the ad hoc price rise in Spring 2023.
Those on a fixed-price promotional deal - like those offered to new customers - would also not have seen the price hikes take effect until after their deal ended.
Which? argues that it is unfair for consumers to be signed up to deals which do not give them certainty about how much they can expect to pay over the course of their contract, and then face exit fees if they want to leave early.
Rocio Concha, from Which?, said: “It’s outrageous that unpredictable mid-contract price hikes have been allowed to continue for so long.
"Which? is calling on all providers to do the right thing and cancel 2024's above inflation price hikes.
"Ofcom should also use their review to finally ban these unpredictable mid-contract price hikes that harm consumers and undermine competition.
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"Consumers need to know exactly how much their contract will cost when they sign up."
