I’ve been writing about consumer technology for over 14 years, and one of my biggest bugbears has long been excessive price rises for broadband and phone contracts. Take your eye off the ball, and a cheap deal that you signed up for 18 months ago can suddenly become very, very expensive. Earlier this year, I had a massive moan at my parents after I found out their previous internet contract with BT had ended, and they were now paying far too much for pretty mediocre download speeds. So, I’m pretty embarrassed by what has just happened to me.

I renewed my contract with Virgin Media in 2024 and felt pretty smug when I negotiated a very competitive £30-per-month deal for superfast 350Mbps speeds.

That cost rose this year to £33 during the usual spring hikes, but I’ve never had a reason to whinge or feel ripped off. At no point during my contract has Virgin’s broadband gone down, become slow or left me offline. In fact, the service I’ve received from this UK provider has been very impressive, with my speeds rarely dropping below 300 Mbps.

However, I’ve just made a major mistake that could have proven costly.

My contract ended at the start of November, and my monthly price instantly shot up from a reasonable £33 per month to an outrageously high £70. That means it more than doubled overnight.

Now, I’m not necessarily blaming Virgin Media for this. The firm had sent out an email (which I missed) and then texted me the day after the new out-of-contract price was set.

They also offer a relatively easy way to log in and see a renewal deal that’s available if you are happy to sign up for a new 24-month plan.

Once I’d realised my mistake and logged into my online account, I saw my updated offer price was £34 per month rather than £70.

I’m also well aware that at some point, I signed a contract that would have explained the price rise in full. All of Virgin’s correspondence clearly states the amount of each April increase and the total cost once the contract expires.

I’ve been incredibly busy in recent weeks and I totally took my eye off the ball. After my mistake, I don’t want others to do the same, as it can leave you seriously out of pocket.

There are so many deals available at the moment, and not switching when your contract comes to an end will be costly. For example, I have Community Fibre in my street, which is currently offering free 300Mbps speeds for six months (then just £23 per month).

If I’d signed up for that plan, it would cost me just £138 for the next year’s broadband access.

If I had continued with Virgin while out of contract, I’d have paid over £840 for the same speeds.

These price hikes are standard practice across the industry, so regardless of who your provider is, when your deal is up for renewal, don’t delay in calling them and asking for a better price.

It’s often a good idea to ask to speak with the retentions team, as they will typically offer the best prices.

Always head into the call armed with rival deals from other providers, as this will also help secure a lower cost.

Just don’t do what I did and miss or ignore the messages. If you do, you will get a mighty bill shock.

In response to my price issues, a Virgin Media spokesperson said: “The broadband market is highly competitive, with a range of great-value packages available. Customers often sign up on a promotional offer with their ongoing price always clearly explained at the point of sale.

“We also write to customers when their deal is coming to an end, reminding them they are nearing the end of their minimum contract period and highlighting cheaper options available, as well as sending out similar reminders every year.”