Mobile phones are shockingly expensive, especially if you want the latest handsets. There are a mind-boggling array of tariffs with multiple telecom companies which makes finding the cheapest tariff to suit your needs almost impossible. But help is at hand in the shape of a website called billmonitor.com
How it works
By simply allowing the site to login into your mobile account (don't worry it is secure and I've tried it) the site will analyse your last 3 mobile bills to determine your typical monthly usage. It then analyses over 3 million mobile tariffs and matches you with the cheapest contract for you.
How much did I save?
As you know I'm not a preacher, I live what I write about and only recommend sites that genuinely add value. So I fired up billmonitor.com and went straight to 'analyse my bills'. After allowing the site to log in to my online o2 billing I stated that I wanted it to review my existing tariff and look for alternatives. If you don't have online billing then there is a calculator that allows you to specify your level of usage.
I told it I wasn't bothered about handsets (although you can specify a particular make if you want) or which network (again you can specify) and that I was even happy with sim only deals. I then clicked 'go' and was told that I would receive an email within the next 30 minutes with full details of the best deals for me.
Low and behold 2 minutes later an email popped into my inbox, as promised, and the results were eye-wateringly good. By switching tariff to a sim only deal with another company I could cut my monthly bill from £40-£45 a month to just £18. Billmonitor, I salute you as I will save over £360 a year.
Check your coverage
But before you start popping champagne corks one tip from me. Make sure you check the mobile coverage of your new network at the places that you most frequently use your mobile. What good is a cheap mobile contract if you can't get a signal at home? You can check the level of coverage, by postcode, for all mobile phone networks here.
Image courtesy of nongpimmyo / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
