0300 102 9488  |  info@consumer-protection.org.uk  |  Mon–Fri 9am–5pmTrack my case  |  Alerts  |  Simple view
A faceless customer on a sofa reading a contract with a phone and laptop while a faceless engineer in a cap adjusts a Wi-Fi router, with a protection shield icon

Guides › Subscriptions and Contracts › Broadband, Phone and Mobile Contracts

Broadband, Phone and Mobile Contracts

Your broadband, phone or mobile provider must give you clear contract information up front and notice before a price rise. If a rise was not made clear when you signed, you can usually leave without paying an exit fee. If a complaint is not resolved, you can go to a free ombudsman scheme after six weeks.

Last checked 8 October 2026 General information, not legal advice
Get my action planStart your free case review

At a Glance

30 daysminimum notice of a price rise that was not clear in your contract
30 daysafter that notice to leave without exit fees
6 weeksafter your complaint before you can use a free ombudsman scheme
Pounds and pencenew contracts must state price rises this way, not as percentages

Your Rights

What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.

Your Contract

  • Information Before You Sign

    Before you are bound, residential customers and small businesses with ten employees or fewer should receive a written one-page summary of the contract (three pages for bundled services) covering charges, contract length and how to cancel, followed by the fuller written contract information. source

  • Changes to Your Terms

    Providers can change contract terms, but they must give at least one month's notice, and you have the right to leave without penalty if the change does not benefit you. You cannot leave over changes that only benefit you, are purely administrative or are imposed by law, such as a VAT change. source

Price Rises

  • Rises Your Contract Does Not Allow

    If your contract does not say how much the price can rise, or the rise is bigger than the contract allows, your provider must give you at least 30 days' notice before it takes effect. You then have 30 days to leave without exit fees, either to a new contract with the same provider or by switching. source

  • No Inflation-Linked Rises

    Since January 2025, new contracts cannot include price rises linked to inflation or set as percentages. Any planned rises must be shown clearly in pounds and pence before you sign, with the date they take effect. Contracts signed before 17 January 2025 may still contain inflation-linked or percentage rises. source

  • Rises That Were Not Made Clear

    If a scheduled price rise was not made clear when you signed, you can leave without penalty. If you think a rise was not shown clearly, complain to your provider. source

Help and Complaints

  • Social Tariffs

    If you are eligible for a social tariff (for example because you receive Universal Credit or Pension Credit), you can switch to it without a penalty, even during a contract. source

  • Free Dispute Resolution

    If your complaint is not resolved, you can use a free alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme once six weeks have passed since your initial complaint, or earlier if you receive a deadlock letter. The two schemes are the Communications and Internet Services Adjudication Scheme (CISAS) and the Communications Ombudsman. All providers must belong to one. source

  • Ofcom

    Ofcom does not investigate individual complaints, but you can report problems through its monitoring form, which may inform investigations into companies. source

Time Limits to Know

Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.

  • 30 days
    Notice before a price rise that was not clear in your contractAt least 30 days before it takes effect
  • 30 days
    Leave without exit fees after a price rise noticeWithin 30 days of that notice
  • 1 month
    Notice of other contract changes that do not benefit youAt least one month, with a right to leave without penalty
  • 6 weeks
    Wait before going to a free ADR schemeSix weeks from your complaint, or earlier with a deadlock letter
  • 17 Jan 2025
    New contracts: price rises in pounds and penceApplies to contracts signed from 17 January 2025

Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right

Free routes to escalate, and when each one applies.

Your Provider's Complaints Team

Always start here, in writing, and keep a copy.

CISAS or the Communications Ombudsman (ADR)

Six weeks after your complaint, or when you receive a deadlock letter. Free for you. Your provider will say which scheme it belongs to.

Ofcom's Monitoring Form

To report a problem. Ofcom does not investigate individual complaints, but reports can inform its action against companies.

Steps to Take

Step 1 of 6

Find your contract, the one-page summary and any price rise notice. Note the dates.

Step 2 of 6

Check when the price rise was announced and whether your contract said how much prices could rise.

Step 3 of 6

If the rise was not made clear when you signed, or the notice was under 30 days, tell your provider in writing that you want to leave without exit fees.

Step 4 of 6

If you want to leave after a rise, do so within 30 days of the notice, so you keep the right to leave without penalty.

Step 5 of 6

If you have a complaint, make it to your provider first and keep a copy of what you send and any reference number.

Step 6 of 6

After six weeks, or sooner if you receive a deadlock letter, take it to your provider's ADR scheme. Your provider will say which, or use Ofcom's ADR checker.

(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)

Evidence and Your Letter

Gather your evidence, then build a letter you can send in minutes.

Evidence Checklist

0 of 6 gathered

Tap each one when you have it.

CPUK

Letter Generator

How This Works

  1. 1

    Tick off the evidence you already have, and see what is still missing.

  2. 2

    Answer the letter questions. Your answers fill in the wording for you.

  3. 3

    Copy or download the letter, check every detail, and send it yourself.

A template, not legal advice.

Watch Out For

Common traps and scams to avoid.

Calls or texts saying your broadband will be cut off or that you are owed a refund, asking you to give card details or install software. Hang up and call your provider on the number on your bill.

Doorstep or cold-call 'switching' deals that are vague about the real monthly price and contract length. Ask for the one-page summary before agreeing.

Assuming you are locked in after a price rise. Check the notice date and your 30-day exit window.

Paying an exit fee without checking the rise was clearly shown when you signed.

Recent or changing rules: tap to read

Checked 8 October 2026 against two Ofcom pages: telecoms price rises, and contracts. Ofcom's contracts page says to wait six weeks, not eight, before using ADR. Minimum contract lengths, end-of-contract notifications, cooling-off rights, service quality and automatic compensation rules were not covered by those pages and are not described here. Inflation-linked rises in contracts signed before 17 January 2025 may remain valid, so check your own contract. Review again by January 2027.

Want Help?

If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.

Not sure where you stand? Try our action plan tool or the free letter templates.

Start your case
Sources and official links
Start your case