Martin Lewis explains how to cut your phone bill to just £1 a month

Personal finance guru Martin Lewis says a simple trick could cut your mobile phone bill to just £1 a month, the founder of The Money Saving Expert shared the tip in an edition of the MSE email newsletter.

He said 14 million people in the UK could benefit, as this is the number of people who are currently off their mobile phone contract but are staying with the same provider.

Martin advised people to use Ofcom’s system which tells you if you’re out of contract if you can switch and what the best deals are for you. All you have to do is text the word INFO to 85705.

Most people should get an instant response. You can then switch to a SIM-only deal, which should dramatically reduce the amount you pay each month.

MSE says the cheapest current deal is from Lebara, using Vodafone’s network, offering 15GB of data per month, unlimited minutes of calls and texts, and free roaming in Europe. The deal costs £1 a month for seven months, then £7.90 a month after that – an average of £3.90 a month over a year.

You won’t be signed into a contract and you can cancel at any time, even during the first seven months when you pay £1.

iD-Mobile has a 12-month contract at £4.50 per month with 30GB of data and unlimited calls and texts. You also get a £30 voucher when you sign up and can cancel after the first year before any price increases.

If you call your provider to say you want to switch to a new network, they may offer you a better deal. Martin Lewis, famous for his TV shows, podcasts and radio shows, recommends negotiating with your supplier to get a better deal.

Keeping your phone number when you change is called “porting” your number, and if you want to change and keep your old number, you need to contact your current provider and request a porting authorization code (PAC). This is a numerical code that you must then give to your new provider.