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Retail Price Index.

Everything you need to know about the RPI Increase.

What is the Retail Price Index (RPI)?

Retail Price Index (RPI) is a measure of inflation published monthly by the boffins at the Office for National Statistics. It's based on average price increases across the country over the last 12 months, and lots of industries and businesses use it to decide if they need to adjust prices. That includes us.

How does RPI affect my iD plan?

If you've upgraded or purchased a new 24-month plan with iD on or after 15 June 2017, your monthly line rental charge will be adjusted in line with the RPI rate of inflation each year. Your out-of-bundle charges won't be affected though. They're safe.

The RPI is announced in February, and your bill is adjusted two months later in April.

So, how much will your increase be? Well, this year's RPI was published on 13 February 2019. It was 2.5%.

2019 RPI price adjustment examples:

Old monthly line rental (incl VAT) % increase New monthly line rental after RPI is applied (incl VAT)
£9.99 2.5% £10.23
£14.99 2.5% £15.36
£19.99 2.5% £20.48

Note: If you're on an iD plan purchased before 15 June 2017, your plan costs won't be affected by the RPI price increase.

Need more info? Check out clause 12.23 of your iD Mobile terms and conditions. It's all there.

RPI FAQs.

Why are you increasing prices?

Every April, for plans purchased from 15 June 2017 onwards, we adjust monthly price plans in line with the RPI as per our T&Cs. This reflects the increase in the costs to run and invest in the network and service we provide.

How have you calculated the rate of increase on my plan?

We've used the RPI increase of 2.5% published in February 2019. This is a measure of the average change in prices for consumers across the country over the last 12 months.

What if I have a discount on my monthly plan?

If you have a discount, it won't change. The price increase is applied to your original price plan charge, and your discount is applied afterwards.

What happens if I upgrade to another plan?

If you upgrade onto a new plan from 1st March 2019, you won't get an RPI-based price increase this year. However, you'll get one in April 2020.

Can I cancel my iD plan?

We'd hate to see you leave but yes, you can cancel your plan by giving us 30 days'. Please note: if your leaving date is before the end of your contract, you may need to pay an early termination charge.

How can I checky my bill?

The RPI adjustment will appear on your April bill. To view your latest bill, sign in to the free iD Mobile App or visit My Account online, then go to 'Billing', 'Current month'.

If you need more information on how your bill works, check out our understanding your bill webpage.

I upgraded or purchased my iD plan before 15th June 2017. Will the price of my plan increase?

No. It'll stay the same.

How exactly does RPI work?

The RPI is a measure of inflation. The figure is based on hundreds of items we spend money on, and it tracks changes in the cost of these items over time. It combines around 180,000 price quotes for over 650 representative items in 150 different areas across the UK. This is known as the 'basket of goods' and is regularly updated to reflect changes in the things we buy. Examples include food, drinks, clothing, cinema tickets, furniture, cars, public transport, holidays, telecoms, electricity and water.

The published RPI rate between January 2012 and January 2018 has ranged from 0.7% to 4.1%.

The annual rate of inflation shows how much higher or lower prices are compared with the same month a year earlier. So if the inflation rate is 3% in January, for example, prices are 3% higher than they were 12 months earlier. Or, to look at it another way, we need to spend 3% more to buy the same things.

We compare this to the annual change recorded in the previous month to get an idea of whether price rises are getting bigger or smaller. If the annual rate has risen from 3% to 4% from one month to the next, prices are rising at a faster rate, if the rate has fallen - say from 3% to 2% - prices of the things we buy are still higher, but haven't increased by as much.

For further information, including RPI figures and publication dates, go to www.ons.gov.uk

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