Mobile
How to Reduce Your Monthly Mobile Bill
Start with your contract end date: once it has passed you are free to move, and a bundled contract may still be charging for a phone you have paid off. Then match your data to what you use and check what you pay on top.
- The end date comes first
- SIM only once the phone is paid off
- Match data to your usual month
Keeps the price and the end date on record.
Your mobile plan
- Contract end date
- On record
- Data used
- Your usual month
- Extras
- Checked
Example. Your own details appear once you add them.
Six checks
0 of 10 done
Your contract
Your use
On top of the plan
Nothing you tick here is saved. Add your plan to Wisemium and its end date is kept.
The full guide
The biggest saving usually comes from your contract end date. Once a contract ends, you are free to move to a cheaper plan, and if your contract included the phone, you may be paying for a handset that is already paid off. Then check the data you actually use, and what you pay for on top of the plan.
1. Find your contract end date
Your network must tell you between 10 and 40 days before your contract ends, with the price you will pay afterwards and its best deals for you. If you have passed the end date, you can usually leave with 30 days’ notice. If not, the reply to a PAC text (PAC to 65075) tells you any charge for leaving early.
2. Stop paying for a phone you already own
If your contract bundled the handset and the airtime into one price and the contract has ended, check whether the price has dropped. If it has not, a SIM only plan on the same phone is usually much cheaper: SIM only or a phone contract shows how to compare the two.
3. Match your data to what you use
Your phone’s settings show how much data you used each month. Choose an allowance a little above your usual month rather than unlimited by habit. Using Wi-Fi at home and at work keeps your mobile data for when you need it.
4. Check what you pay on top
- Add-ons and subscriptions billed through your network.
- Calls to premium or international numbers.
- Insurance on an older phone that may not be worth what you pay for it.
- Roaming outside the destinations your plan includes.
5. Know your price rises
A contract taken out since January 2025 must state any rise during the term in pounds and pence. Some plans state no rise at all. Over a 24-month term, a plan that starts slightly higher but never rises can cost less than one that rises each April.
6. Ask about social tariffs
If you receive certain benefits, some networks offer cheaper social tariffs. Ofcom keeps a list of the networks that offer one and who qualifies.
Keep the new plan on record
Add your plan to Wisemium with its price and end date. The end date is shown before it arrives, which is when the next saving is available.
Common questions
Is SIM only cheaper than a phone contract?
Usually, once the phone is paid for, because a contract price includes paying off the handset. If you need a new phone, compare the total cost of buying it outright plus SIM only against the contract over the same months.
Can I keep my number if I move to a cheaper plan?
Yes. Text PAC to 65075 and give the code to your new network. Your number moves within one working day.
What if I am still in contract?
Leaving early usually means paying for the remaining months. You can still review add-ons and extras now, and plan the switch for your end date.
Lower-cost SIM plans
Each states its own term and any price rise. Lebara and 1pMobile state no credit check.
5GB data
£5a month
Price checked on the seller’s site, 3 Oct 2026
View offerOpens Lebara’s site in a new tab.
20GB data
£7a monthNo upfront cost
No annual price rises, as stated by iD Mobile.
Price checked on the seller’s site, 2 Oct 2026
View offerOpens iD Mobile’s site in a new tab.
10GB data
£8a monthNo upfront cost
Price checked on the seller’s site, 2 Oct 2026
View offerOpens 1pMobile’s site in a new tab.
30GB data
£10a month
Price checked on the seller’s site, 3 Oct 2026
View offerOpens Lebara’s site in a new tab.
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