Almost half of Brit mobile users waste half of their monthly tariffs

Four in ten continue to burn cash, claiming they can't be bothered to switch to more appropriate price plans.

Price comparison site uSwitch is behind the data, which says 17 million mobile phone users are throwing burning their cash by not making the most of their tariffs.

48 per cent of Brits use just 50 per cent of their monthly minute and text bundles, while a quarter use less than one-fifth of their texts each month and 20 per cent use less than one-fifth of their minutes.

40 per cent have never switched operators to achieve savings, and 41 per cent can't be bothered to make a switch, despite an average £11 monthly saving amounting to £273 over a two-year contract – fast becoming the UK norm.

Two-thirds say the switching process needs to be simplified, while a third claim networks deliberately make it confusing to try and leave, and 27 per cent say operators are too pushy to achieve customer retention.

46 per cent of users move networks to make a saving, while 23 per cent cite poor coverage and 17 per cent say poor customer service.

Ernest Doku, technology expert at uSwitch.com, comments: "Paying for minutes and texts that you don't use is like buying food you don't eat, it's a waste of money.

"Although some people might like the comfort blanket of having a higher allowance than they actually use, if you are regularly using far less than what you're paying for, effectively you are throwing money down the drain.

"And although it seems that most mobile phone users don't switch providers to save money, the fact is that by not switching you are likely to be losing out, whether it's a better deal, better handset or better coverage."

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