Consumers all over the country (myself included) will be receiving a text today to let them know Three will be raising bills. The price increase will be coming with the summer on July 16th and be just as hot.

A scorching 3.7% increases in line with the increase in inflation (based on the Retail Price Index (RPI)). This will affect those on phone contracts and mobile broadband customers, who bought before the 8th March 2012. If you are on Pay-as-you-go, a business customer or SIM only, you will not be affected.

For those who are crying to the heavens for someone to save them from this increase, sadly there is not much that you can do. That long contract (that you may or may not have read) states that they can increase the price once every 12 months. If you think Ofcom can save you, that is a no no aswell. Under Ofcom rules operators need to give 30 days notice (which they have I received my text earlier today) so consumers have time to cancel.

Although you may want to get the pitchforks out and try to run Three out of town, there isn’t much that can be done about the price increase. For most people it will be an additional £1 a month (one less bottle of juice).

So get ready a price increase is coming and they may not be the only network to do it.