EE to raise prices by up to 60 per cent - just months after acquisition by BT

BT wastes no time in raising prices for EE customers

Less than nine months after EE's acquisition by telecoms giant BT was completed, which opponents had warned would lead to higher prices, the company has announced price increases that will see some prices for EE services increase by as much as 60 per cent.

The price hikes will come into force on 28 September. Calls made to mobiles, landlines and voicemail will increase from 40p to 50p per minute, and international calls from £1 to £1.60 per minute.

The cost of sending an MMS picture message in the UK and internationally will rise from 40p to 50p, while sending a text message abroad will soon be 10p more expensive at 35p.

EE said in an email sent to customers, including Computing: "We do try to keep price changes to a minimum. We're committed to providing you with the best experience, such as investing £1.5m in our network every day."

An EE spokesman said in a statement that only a "small number" of customers will be affected by the price rises.

"We're contacting our pay-monthly mobile customers to inform them of some changes we are making to the cost of calls and MMS outside their allowances from 28 September," the statement added.

"Only a small proportion of our customers will be affected by these changes as the vast majority of EE customers have unlimited UK calls, and call charges to the EU remain the same.

"We also offer great value bundles for customers who frequently send MMS messages or make international calls."

Ofcom regulations allow customers to leave a contract without penalty if the monthly tariff increases without warning at the time of signing up, but the protection does not extend to out-of-allowance increases.

However, while EE's existing customers may be forced to pay through the nose for some services, new and upgrading pay-monthly customers will be given the use of Apple Music free for six months.

The offer will be available from 1 September to EE customers on new and upgrading pay-monthly handset or SIM-only plans using iOS and Android devices.

The offer mirrors Vodafone's free six-month Spotify subscription, and Three's recent six-month free access to Deezer.