BRITS are paying a huge five times more for mobile data than other countries in Europe.
The average cost of one gigabyte (1 GB) of data is 20p in the UK, according to research from comparison site Broadband Genie.
The analysis looked at 3,446 mobile tariffs to calculate the average cost of 1 GB of data.
It turns out, the UK is far more expensive than some of its European neighbours including Italy and France.
Italians pay just 4p on average, while the French pay 11p.
Portuguese mobile phone users pay an average of 7p.
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Alex Tofts, strategist at Broadband Genie, says: “There is a clear digital divide when it comes to the cost of mobile data, leaving UK consumers disadvantaged and squeezed during an ongoing cost-of-living crisis.”
However, there is a quick fix that can help you save hundreds of pounds a year.
Alex says buying a handset and SIM-only plan separately can save you over £200 a year compared with standard phone contracts.
First, you should check if you’re out of contract.
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All you need to do is send a free text message with the words INFO to 85075.
You’ll receive a text back with details about your contract and any early exit fees you would need to pay if you’re still in contract.
If you’re out of contract, you could sign yourself up for a SIM-only plan.
Some of these plans start from as little as 39p a day.
For example, AO World launched a SIM-only offer recently which gives you unlimited calls and texts and 500GB of monthly data for £12 a month.
The service is powered by Vodafone.
If you’re looking for a new phone deal, you could use a comparison site to find the cheapest price.
Ofcom has a list of trusted comparison sites here.
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If you want to keep your existing phone number but you’re switching SIM, you can text PAC to 65075.
Or, to get a new number and end your current contract you can text STAC to 75075.