EE has confirmed that customers on its pay monthly contracts will see a 2.7% increase in their bills from March.
The rise matches the Retail Prices Index rate of inflation as of December 2018 and will come into force on 30th March.
The network is in the process of informing customers about the rise. It affects those with SIM only deals, as well as those paying for a handset and data package.
In a statement, it said: "Like many service providers, our pay-monthly plans increase by RPI annually, and this year customers on our most popular plan will typically see an increase of 60p a month.”
The move does not mean EE pay monthly customers can leave their deal mid–contract. Networks are legally allowed to increase prices in line with inflation and tend to do so annually.
Three, O2 and Vodafone are all set to announce price rises for pay monthly contracts in the coming weeks.
Those out of contract can switch to a new deal on the same network or move carriers altogether if they are unhappy with paying more for the same service.
Ernest Doku, mobiles expert at Uswitch.com, said: “It is fast becoming the norm that mobile phone networks will hike prices once a year in line with inflation.
"So it is no surprise that EE have taken the opportunity to join many others in doing so. As the provider states that customers will be subject to this in-contract price rise, it denies consumers the opportunity to walk away for free.
“It could be argued that consumers shouldn’t be tied to a contract where they will have to swallow an unspecified increase every year.
"However, if you are unhappy with the new monthly cost, make a note of when your contract ends, so when the time comes, you can vote with your feet and switch away to a new deal.
"Don’t forget that if you are happy with your current handset, taking a SIM-only deal could save you hundreds of pounds a year.”
