Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement, GC C1.6 (right to exit on materially detrimental contract changes)

Complain to BT about a mid-contract price rise

Locked into a contract, but they've put the price up anyway. Ofcom rules give you a get-out clause. Here it is in pounds and pence.

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The law on your side

Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement, GC C1.6 (right to exit on materially detrimental contract changes)

Ofcom General Condition C1.6

Ofcom General Condition C1.6 gives you the right to exit penalty-free if a contract change is materially detrimental.
From 17 January 2025, in-contract price rises must be set in pounds and pence at the point of sale, not pegged to inflation.
Notice of a price rise must be given at least 30 days before it takes effect.
The right to exit applies to broadband, mobile, landline and pay-TV contracts covered by the General Conditions.

What you are owed

Situation	Remedy
Right to exit	Penalty-free, within 30 days of notice (GC C1.6)
Pre-Jan 2025 contracts	RPI/CPI-linked rises must be flagged at sign-up; right to exit applies if not
Post-Jan 2025 contracts	Mid-contract rises must be specified in £ and pence at the point of sale

Source: Ofcom General Condition C1.6. Figures are the published statutory amounts at the time of writing.

Copy-paste letter template

Replace anything in [SQUARE_BRACKETS] with your details. Keep the tone factual - the citations do the heavy lifting.

Dear BT Customer Service,

I am writing about my account [ACCOUNT_NUMBER] for the [SERVICE] taken out on [START_DATE]. On [NOTIFY_DATE] I received notice of a mid-contract price rise of £[INCREASE] per month, taking effect [EFFECTIVE_DATE].

Under Ofcom General Condition C1.6, communications providers must give residential customers a clear and prominent right to exit the contract without penalty when a contract change is materially detrimental. Since 17 January 2025, Ofcom rules also require that any in-contract price increase be specified in pounds and pence at the point of sale rather than linked to a future inflation figure.

I do not accept this price rise. I require:
1. Confirmation of my right to exit the contract penalty-free under General Condition C1.6, with the cancellation taking effect within 30 days of this letter, or
2. A reversal of the price increase for the remainder of my minimum term.

Please respond within 14 days. If unresolved within 8 weeks, I will refer the complaint to [CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications], the ADR scheme BT is signed up to.

Yours faithfully,
[FULL_NAME]
[ADDRESS]
[EMAIL]
[ACCOUNT_NUMBER]

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If they ignore the first letter

1
Write to the provider
Cite General Condition C1.6 and either ask to exit penalty-free or to have the increase reversed for the remainder of the minimum term.
Allow 14 days for a response
2
Wait 8 weeks or get a deadlock letter
Comms providers must give a deadlock letter once internal escalation is exhausted, or you can wait 8 weeks before going to ADR.
8 weeks
3
Communications ADR
Refer to CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications - whichever scheme the provider is a member of. ADR is free to the consumer and binding on the provider.

Final stop: CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications.

Quick answers

Does this apply to inflation-linked clauses I signed up to?

For contracts entered into before 17 January 2025, an inflation-linked rise that was clearly flagged at sign-up does not give you a right to exit. For contracts signed after that date, mid-contract rises must be in pounds and pence - inflation-linked clauses no longer comply.

Which ADR scheme covers my provider?

Each communications provider must be a member of one approved scheme - either CISAS or Ombudsman Services: Communications. The provider's terms or website lists which one.

Can I exit penalty-free on a hardware-bundled contract?

Only the airtime/service portion is covered by GC C1.6. You may still owe a balance for the device portion of a split contract. Ask the provider to itemise.

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Disclaimer: NoReply is an independent consumer advocacy platform. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to BT. This page summarises Ofcom General Conditions of Entitlement, GC C1.6 (right to exit on materially detrimental contract changes) (Ofcom General Condition C1.6) for general guidance and is not legal advice. Always check the current statutory text before acting.