Mobile phone providers in the UK will have to offer their customers the opportunity to set a limit on their monthly bill, following a new law passed by Parliament last week.

Citizens Advice has said this puts the power to manage their finances back into the hands of consumers. The national charity has called for all mobile customers to be able to set their own limit for their monthly bill after its research found that the practices of mobile phone firms were in some cases pushing people into debt or making it harder to manage their debts.

Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said:

“Giving everyone the chance to set a monthly mobile limit puts the power to manage their finances back into the hands of consumers.

“We know that currently many consumers find it difficult to keep track of how much they spend when using their mobile.

“A monthly bill limit that people can set themselves means customers can work out how much they can afford to spend on their mobile use in advance and budget for this.

“With mobile phones now an essential part of everyday life, but telecoms customers too often lacking the kind of protections people have in other essential markets like energy and financial services, it is good that Parliament has recognised the need for this change.”

Notes to editors

1. The Citizens Advice service comprises a network of local Citizens Advice, all of which are independent charities, the Citizens Advice consumer service and national charity Citizens Advice. Together we help people resolve their money, legal and other problems by providing information and advice and by influencing policymakers. For more see the Citizens Advice website.
2. The advice provided by the Citizens Advice service is free, independent, confidential and impartial, and available to everyone regardless of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age or nationality.
3. To get advice online or find your local Citizens Advice in England and Wales, visit citizensadvice.org.uk
4. You can get consumer advice from the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 or 03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language speakers.
5. Local Citizens Advice in England and Wales advised 2.5 million clients on 6.2 million problems in 2014/15. For full service statistics see our publication Advice trends.
6. Citizens Advice service staff are supported by more than 21,000 trained volunteers, working at over 2,500 service outlets across England and Wales.