Vodafone broadband price increase 2024: what can customers do?

Vodafone broadband customers were hit by a mid-contract price increase of 7.9% from April 2024.

The provider, along with others like BT, Plusnet and EE, increased its prices each year in line with the inflation rate, plus its own extra rate of 3.9%.

Since the CPI inflation rate announced in January 2024 was 4%, the total mid-contract price rise for Vodafone in 2024 was 7.9%. This affects almost all of its 1.1 million customers. So, if you currently pay for a Vodafone broadband contract, you will likely see your prices go up as a result.

And unfortunately, because this price rise policy is in Vodafone’s terms and conditions, you aren't able to cancel your contract early without paying an exit fee.

Vodafone increases prices annually for most customers, but for customers who take out a new Vodafone broadband contract from 2 July 2024, future price increases won't be linked to inflation.

Instead, Vodafone will apply a flat £3 per month increase for these customers from 2025 and onwards.

Read on to learn all about Vodafone’s mid-contract price increase, and what you can do if you’re affected by it.

Vodafone broadband price hikes in 2024

Vodafone increased its prices for mid-contract and out-of-contract customers from April 2024 by 7.9%. This is in line with its terms and conditions, which in 2024 stated that it will increase its prices in accordance with CPI +3.9% each year.

However, those taking out a new Vodafone broadband contract from July 2024 won't see CPI-linked price rises going forward. Instead Vodafone will increase prices every April by £3 per month.

How much is Vodafone’s 2024 price increase?

The price rise that you received will depend on how much you pay for your Vodafone broadband contract per month.

A 7.9% price increase means you’ll be required to pay that amount on top of your monthly rate as of the 1st April 2024.

Here’s an example of how much more you’ll be paying per month on this kind of price increase:

How much is Vodafone’s 2025 price increase?

Vodafone has already announced that in 2025, it will stop annual inflation-based price rises and introduce a £3 price rise on the 1st of April. 

This will be a welcome change for customers on more expensive contracts as an inflation-based price rise would have increased their bill by over £3 a month. However, for customers on contracts paying around the £20-25 a month mark, this will likely add more than an inflation-based price rise (according to current levels), so it is something to bear in mind when signing up for a new broadband contract.

The price rise does not affect people on social tariffs or anybody registered as financially vulnerable.

Which Vodafone customers are affected?

Almost all Vodafone customers are affected by its annual price increase. This includes customers who are currently in the middle of their contract with Vodafone, because the provider mentions in its T&Cs that prices will go up each April.

However, there are two types of customers who are exempt from Vodafone’s yearly price rise:

If you think you need to be identified as financially vulnerable or you’re currently struggling to pay your Vodafone bill, get in touch with the provider, and it will look for ways it can support you.

What can Vodafone customers do when their prices increase?

This depends on whether you are in contract or not.

If you’re part-way through your fixed contract term, you unfortunately won’t be able to cancel it early without paying an exit fee. This is down to the T&Cs Vodafone displays when you sign up.

But if your contract term has ended, you can re-contract or switch away from Vodafone whenever you like.

Most other broadband providers have set yearly price increases, too, while some smaller broadband providers have committed to no mid-contract price rises. However, the smaller providers are often less widely available across the UK than the big brands.

Learn more about price increases from all the other UK broadband providers and which ones will let you switch early by reading our mid-contract price rises guide.

Can I cancel Vodafone for free?

If your Vodafone broadband prices have gone up mid-contract, you won’t be able to cancel your service early without paying exit fees.

Some broadband providers let you do this, though. Sky and NOW Broadband's price rises aren’t fixed at a certain rate in their T&Cs, which means you get a 30-day window to end your agreement with them if they increase your prices.

Vodafone, on the other hand, does include a fixed price rise rate each year, as do other broadband providers like BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk, EE and Shell. This means you will have to pay a penalty fee to leave your contract early if you’re with any of these brands.

However, you can cancel your Vodafone contract penalty-free if you’re either:

• At the end of your contract

• Already out of contract

This is because your fixed term is ending. So, if you don’t find a new deal, you could end up paying out-of-contract fees on top of this annual price rise.

Should I stay with Vodafone?

If you’re able to end your current Vodafone contract penalty-free, you’ll be able to re-contract on a cheaper new deal with the same provider. But this also means you can start comparing similar broadband packages from other providers and switch to a deal that’s better for you.

Just keep in mind that most other providers will still increase your prices each year. So you shouldn’t necessarily expect to be avoiding a price rise if you sign up with another company.

At Uswitch, we’ve written in-depth expert reviews of all of the major broadband providers in the UK. They’re all backed up by a 24,000-person customer survey, which helps to show which providers are considered the best for different aspects of broadband service.

So, whether you care most about price, customer service, internet speed, reliability or all of the above, our reviews will help to guide you to make a more confident decision.

Vodafone end-of-contract price hike

Vodafone’s annual price hike isn’t the only price increase you might see from the provider.

Once your fixed contract has ended, Vodafone may also raise your monthly price by a much larger 50-70%, based on Uswitch research in December 2023.

But there’s a simple way to avoid this particular price increase. Out-of-contract price hikes are a very common practice from providers, but Vodafone's seem to be some of the largest compared to the initial price customers signed up for.

The good news is that being out of contract also means that you’re completely free to find a new broadband deal at just 30 days’ notice. And you won’t have to pay a penalty fee to do so.

This could be another contract with Vodafone or it could be another broadband package from a provider that’s offering a better deal. But it essentially means you can avoid the big end of contract price rise and find a new service that matches what you need.

Why is Vodafone increasing prices?

Vodafone’s price rises were historically tied to the rate of inflation. But because it also added its own 3.9% increase each year, it always ended up charging above the inflation rate.

The provider says its price rises “reflect our investment in upgrading our network and services”. This essentially means they’re put in place to cover the costs of the improvements it makes to its broadband, 4G and 5G services.

Its new policy from July 2024 means that Vodafone can't tie its price rises to the inflation rate anymore. But instead its flat £3 per month increase has likely been implemented to cover future inflation-based cost increases and infrastructure investments on their end.

The best advice we can give for customers in this situation is to search for what the predicted inflation rate might be for January next year. There’s no definitive answer, but it may help to give an idea of how much extra you’ll be paying next year.

How to contact Vodafone

If you’re looking to contact Vodafone about its price rises, whether it’s to get more information or haggle for a better deal, there are lots of ways you can get in touch.

• Phone: Call Vodafone’s customer service team on 0333 304 0191

• Website: Log into your My Vodafone account to visit the Help & Support section or use the TOBi Live Chat

• Twitter: Get in touch with its Twitter customer support team @Vodafone UK