Martin Lewis, the financial guru and founder of Money Saving Expert, has highlighted a straightforward step which could dramatically cut mobile phone bills for millions in the UK. Returning this week on his popular ITV1 and ITVX The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, he offered nuggets of wisdom on various topics, including trimming down those hefty monthly charges on mobile phones.
The consumer champion pointed out an astonishing figure: up to 14 million individuals are past their locked-in mobile contract period yet continue to cough up the same amount as when they were still paying off their handset. He’s pushing consumers to verify if they can switch providers and see how much they could pocket by doing so, reports the Express.
In a simple process, he advised viewers to send a cost-free text message in order to determine whether they’re still tied into a contract. Network depending, some may also need to give their date of birth for confirmation before receiving this crucial detail.
Martin expressed: “14 million people are out of contract on their mobile phone bills and are free to switch.” Clarifying the method, he said: “How do you find out? Well it’s easy. You text INFO for free to 85075 to check.”
For those using Three, ID Mobile, or Smartie, he mentioned, “Now, if you’re on Three (or ID Mobile or Smartie) you will need to confirm this by entering your Date of Birth once they message you on the text.”
Assuring his audience, he continued, “That’s fine, that’s part of the process don’t worry about it.” He concluded with advice for those who are still under contract, stating: “Those of you still in contract, you can’t switch at the moment, you’d have to pay a termination fee. Those of you who aren’t, well you’re a free agent, you can go and get the cheapest deals. You can cut your costs.”
Martin then suggested that people should compare cheap SIM only deals as most of the best offers are not directly available from the networks but can be found on price comparison websites. For instance, a 5GB SIM only deal from Lebarra (which uses Vodafone signal) is just £4 a month and includes unlimited minutes and texts.
Alternatively, ID Mobile offers a 50GB SIM only deal on Three signal, costing between £3-7 per month when you consider some of the added freebies like Amazon vouchers. Martin further explained that once you’ve chosen your deal, you can retain your number by sending a text message.
Simply text PAC to 65075 to receive a PAC code. This code should then be given to your new provider who will transfer your old number to your new contract, allowing you to keep your previous number at no extra cost. The latest episode of Martin Lewis Money Show Live is still available for viewing on ITVX.