Virgin Media O2 raises prices: which customers will receive a bill £3 higher.

According to The Sun: The well-known mobile company Virgin Media O2 has announced a price increase for thousands of customers.

In the coming weeks, the company plans to raise tariffs on some SIM-only contracts by £3 per month.

Alamy Virgin Media O2 will raise prices on some of its contracts in the coming weeks

Starting October 1, tariffs will increase by £3 per month, meaning an additional £36 per year.

This news will be an unpleasant surprise for former Virgin Mobile customers who were transferred to O2's unlimited plan in 2023.

Virgin Mobile ceased to exist in 2023, after which customers were offered to switch to O2 under favorable terms or terminate the contract early without penalty.

Those who chose to switch received contracts with SIM-only terms, which include data, minutes, and SMS but no phone.

These contracts automatically renew each month unless cancelled.

Typically, there is a short notice period of about 30 days.

Some customers currently pay only £4 per month for their unlimited tariffs, so the increase will raise their bill to £7 per month.

As a result, over the year, their expenses will rise from £48 to £84.

The price increase will affect only unlimited data plans, while device tariffs will remain unchanged.

Not all Virgin Media O2 customers will be affected by this move.

Customers with standard contracts will not be subject to the new price increase.

Those who will be subject to the increase have already received notifications about the changes.

“We have contacted a small number of former Virgin Mobile customers who switched to O2 in 2023 to inform them that the cost of their unlimited plan will rise by £3 per month starting October 1. This will bring these old packages closer to the wider O2 customer base, while also continuing to offer excellent value for connectivity, demand for which has grown like never before.”

Other price increases

Virgin Media O2 customers are not the only ones facing price hikes.

In July, telecom companies BT, Plusnet, and EE announced price increases for their customers during contract terms.

Those on SIM-only and Flex Pay plans will see increases of £2.50 in April, while customers with prepaid device and connection plans will face increases of £4.

In February, Sky Mobile customers without contracts also experienced price increases of £18 per year.

Those with monthly paid and SIM-only agreements will see their bills rise by £1.50 per month.

However, those still under contract will not experience any changes in price.

This news comes after Ofcom required telecommunications companies to clearly state price increases in specific amounts in pounds and pence starting January 17.

Prices typically rise annually in April according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or the Retail Price Index (RPI) plus up to 3.9%.

Under these rules, customers should know how much their bill will increase in April before signing a contract, rather than relying on potential future inflation changes.

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Amid the rapidly changing mobile market, such price increases are becoming quite common. Customers must be aware of any changes to plan their expenses accordingly. Currently, Virgin Media O2 is trying to adapt its old tariffs to modern conditions in light of the growing demand for connectivity.