MILLIONS of holidaymakers are set to benefit from new roaming rules coming into effect in just weeks.
From October 1, new regulations imposed by the regulator Ofcom will help protect mobile phone users from being hit with unexpected charges while abroad.
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The new rules will force providers to alert customers when they start roaming in the EU or rest of the world and to protect them from inadvertent roaming – when you are travelling along a border and connect to another country’s network without meaning to.
From next month, providers will need to tell customers when they begin roaming and of any spending caps.
They will also have to signpost customers to free information on roaming costs where they are.
Before Brexit, you could use your existing call, data and text allowances in Europe at no extra cost.
But when Ofcom unveiled the new roaming rules in March it said it found 14% of UK customers had experienced inadvertent roaming in the previous 12 months.
The regulator also said this rose to 22% of customers in Northern Ireland, where devices pick up signals from the Republic of Ireland.
Inadvertent roaming can lead to significant additional charges for mobile phone users who haven’t even left their home country, it said.
In some cases, people have been charged for roaming from their own homes.
Sue Davies, head of consumer protection policy at Which?, previously said the changes will help prevent people being stung with high mobile bills they aren’t expecting.
She said: “The new rules do fall short by not suggesting that providers should give compensation to UK residents who have inadvertently fallen foul of roaming charges, and failing to outline what this would look like.
“When the UK negotiates future trade deals, it must seize the opportunity to lower the cost of roaming for consumers travelling around the world.
“The UK and EU should also agree a deal on roaming charges that stops people facing extortionate bills from providers.”
How much does it cost to roam in the EU?
Those travelling with EE, Three, Vodafone, Sky and Voxi face different charges.
Here is what you will have to pay when roaming abroad:
- EE: £2.47 a day for contract customers, or if you have a plan with Inclusive Extras, you can purchase a Roam Abroad Pass for £25 a month. £2.50 a day, or £10 for seven days, if you are pay-as-you-go. 50GB “fair use” limit.
- Three: £2 a day for contract customers, no charge for pay-as-you-go. You can buy a Data Passport for £5 for unlimited data in 89 countries. 12GB “fair use” limit.
- Vodafone: £2.42 a day, or buy a European Roaming pass for £12 for eight days or £17 for 15 days, if you’re a contract customer. From £7 for eight days if you are pay-as-you-go. 25GB “fair use” limit.
- Sky: £2 a day. No “fair use” limit.
- Voxi: £2.45 a day for one day, £4.50 for two days, £12 for eight days, or £17 for 15 days. 20GB “fair use” limit.
O2 doesn’t charge customers roaming charges for using their phones abroad although it does have a 25GB “fair use” data cap.
How to cut mobile costs
One quick way to cut the cost of your mobile phone contract is by going SIM-only.
You can get one of these deals if you have already paid for your handset.
They come with a certain amount of minutes, texts and mobile data.
Since you are not paying for the cost of the mobile with a SIM-only package, you can save a hefty amount of money.
Make sure you shop around for the best deal by using comparison sites like Uswitch, MoneySuperMarket and Compare the Market.
Once you’ve found the best deal for you, you can use it to haggle with your current provider if it is offering you a worse price or package.
If your provider refuses to reduce its price, you can always walk away and take the different deal with the new provider.
Make sure you use Ofcom’s coverage checker to find out what signal is like in your area based on the provider beforehand though.
If you’re on certain benefits, it is worth checking if you can get a social mobile tariff as well – it could save you £100s a year.
How to avoid roaming charges
Simrat Sharma, a mobiles expert at Uswitch, said switching to an eSIM – short for embedded SIM – can be cheaper than using international roaming.
“eSIMs make it easier to change networks,” she said.
“So for example, if you’re abroad you can quickly connect to the local network to pay local rates – without having to add or swap a physical local SIM card for your device.
“This means travel eSIMs are almost always cheaper than using international roaming, as users are effectively tapping into the same network plans as locals.
If you’re regularly switching numbers or travelling to different locations, you’ll be able to keep them all safely in digital format rather than carrying around a number of small cards.
“The software can easily be accessed via your device’s app store and uploaded to your phone in a few quick steps.”
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