Several broadband providers are planning to hike their prices by more than 14% next month - prompting calls for the increases to be cancelled for vulnerable low-income customers.

Millions of homes across the UK are facing considerable increases to their broadband deals from April as a result of mid-contract price rises.

Because the price hikes are in the middle of agreed deals or contracts, most customers won't be able to avoid the extra charges without paying high exit fees to walk away.

And with companies such as BT, EE, Plusnet and TalkTalk set to raise prices in line with the Consumer Price Index plus another 3% to 3.9% - which will send the overall increase into double figures - there are fears poorer households already struggling with the high cost of living will be plunged towards further problems.

Exit fees for customers who want to leave their provider prematurely can range between £100 and almost £200, depending on the company and deal.
Consumer group Which? is among those asking for more to be done to protect financially vulnerable households from the staggering rises - suggesting that those customers should be permitted to leave without a penalty if they face a mid-contract price hike they can't afford.

Vodafone, it says, has confirmed it is automatically exempting customers it has identified as financially vulnerable from April rises while TalkTalk has said it too will also exempt its most financially vulnerable customers - but is yet to outline its criteria for assessment or how this could be publicised.

Which? now wants other firms do the same.

Using information gathered in its latest broadband survey, the consumer champion has calculated how much a low-income BT, EE, Plusnet, TalkTalk or Vodafone customer – earning £21,000 or less a year – could see their payments rise by.

On average, says the research, those families face price hikes of £52 a year to pay £431 a year for their broadband which is at least 2% of their annual income.

With BT reporting the highest monthly prices of the five companies Which? looked at - their customers could see the largest annual increase of £58.20 once this April's increases are applied.

This is closely followed by EE and TalkTalk customers who could see an annual price increase of £51.84 and £49.44 respectively. Plusnet customers could face price hikes of £48.43 and Vodafone customers would see the lowest price hikes of £44.93.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, believes all increases next month should be cancelled for the most vulnerable.

She said: "With less than two weeks to go until April price increases take effect, it’s hugely concerning that some providers have not taken action to protect financially vulnerable consumers from these hard to justify above-inflation price hikes.

"Telecoms providers must urgently cancel the 2023 price hikes for financially vulnerable customers. They should work to proactively identify these customers and ensure they’re not financially penalised, even if they don’t take up a social tariff."

While few customers will be able to avoid the mid-contract April price hikes while they're tied into a deal, comparison service Uswitch says it is crucial that customers keep check of their deal and change when they can if something better suits their needs or budget.

Max Beckett, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, says: "When you near the end of your broadband contract, it’s important to check if there’s a better service from another provider that’s more suited to your needs. This could mean faster speeds, a cheaper monthly payment, better customer service or even all three.

"When your current package ends, your monthly charge will most likely rocket up from your fixed-term offer to the provider’s ‘standard’ price. This means you could be forking out a lot more than you expected if you don’t re-contract or switch to a new plan.

"Typically, consumers can save an average of £162 a year by switching to a new broadband deal."