UK mobile networks are raking in more than 10 billion every year from people only using two thirds of the text and voice call allowance in their tariff. Thats the conclusion of the third annual Mobile Money Report from moneysupermarket.com.
The study by the price comparison website shows that almost half of UK mobile users with free minutes (46%) waste 122 minutes of talk time every month, equating to over 24 hours a year. Similarly, almost half of those with free texts (48%) waste 94 texts each month which adds up to over 1,000 every year.
Compared to the 2007 Mobile Money Report, adults are wasting almost a quarter more minutes and texts (see table below). The findings are based on research carried out by Opinium Research, which carried out an online poll of 2,068 British adults between Friday 28 November and Tuesday 2 December 2008.
It's clear from our annual research a significant amount of mobile customers are on the wrong tariff and, as a result, are throwing money away every month, says moneysupermarket.com Mobiles Manager, James Parker. Over 5.5 million adults dont even know what tariff they're on. Whilst it's always good to be under your monthly allowance and avoid any extra costs, it's important to get the most out of your contract. To do this, you need to assess what your monthly usage is and find a contract that suits this best. If you're a heavy talker, look for a package with a bundle of free minutes. Alternatively, if you like texting, there are plenty of unlimited text deals out there to suit your needs.