Retail Price Index (RPI) and your tariff
Each year, your tariff will be adjusted by the Retail Price Index (RPI) rate of inflation. This rate is announced in February and your bill will be adjusted by this amount in April.
RPI is a widely recognised measure of the general level of inflation. Several industries use it as a guide on whether to adjust prices and by how much. If you're an O2 Consumer customer, RPI can impact your Pay Monthly tariff, including your O2 Refresh Airtime Plan (but not the Device Plan), your sim only tariff, standard tariff, mobile broadband tariff and smartwatch tariff.
For Business customers, RPI will impact those on a Business Essentials airtime plan (not Device Plan), Small Biz tariffs (i.e. Small Biz, Small Biz SIMO, Small Biz Data Only and MBB sim only), Business Tariffs (i.e. Business, Business SIMO, Business Data Only, Best for Business PAYU, Mobex and any proposition that allows you to share data, minutes and texts) and Pop Up Office tariffs.
This year's RPI was published on 17 February 2021 and was 1.4%.
If you joined or upgraded before 17 February 2021, you would've received a message from us telling you about the increase and how it impacts your contract. If you joined or upgraded after this date, we'd have told you about it before you signed up.
RPI Changes from 25th March 2021
Consumer
Each year, your Airtime Plan will be increased by the RPI rate of inflation announced in February plus 3.9%. If RPI is negative, we’ll only apply the 3.9%. You’ll see this change on your April 2022 bill onwards.
Business
If you are on a Business Tariff, each year your Rental Charges will be increased by the RPI rate of inflation announced in February. If RPI is negative, your Rental Charges will stay the same. If you are on a Small Biz Tariff, each year your Rental Charges will be increased by the RPI rate of inflation announced in February, plus 3.9%. If RPI is negative, we’ll only apply 3.9%. You’ll see these changes on your April 2022 bill onwards.
What you need to know about RPI
- RPI and your O2 contract
If you signed up before 23 January 2014
Our terms and conditions allow us to adjust your monthly subscription charge by no more than RPI, once every 12 months.
If you signed up before 25 March 2021
Our terms and conditions state (and our advertising would have made clear) that your monthly subscription charge would be adjusted by the RPI rate published each February and that the adjustment would appear on your April bill. This year’s RPI was published on 17 February 2021 and was 1.4%.
If you signed up on or after 25 March 2021
All Pay Monthly, sim only tariffs and Small Biz tariffs purchased after 25 March 2021 will be increased by the RPI rate of inflation announced in February, plus 3.9%. If RPI is negative, we’ll only apply the 3.9%. You’ll see this increase on your April 2022 bill onwards.
If you've got an O2 Refresh tariff or a Business Essentials tariff
If you're an O2 Refresh customer or on a Business Essentials tariff your Airtime Plan is subject to RPI, but your Device Plan is not. That's because your device is on a credit agreement, and not part of your monthly airtime subscription charge.
***For example, if you're on a £22 O2 Refresh Airtime Plan, the increase of 1.4% would have resulted in a new monthly Airtime Plan cost of £22.30.***
Everybody else on Pay Monthly
***If you're on a sim only tariff, or one of our non-O2 Refresh Pay Monthly tariffs or non-Business Essentials tariffs, RPI is applied to your monthly subscription charge (your tariff amount). For example, if you're on a £27 per month tariff, the increase of 1.4% would have resulted in a new monthly subscription charge of £27.37.***
- Checking your bill
RPI adjustments appear in your April bill. To make sure that everything is as it should be, sign in to My O2 or My O2 Business to review your account information.
Sign in to My O2 or My O2 Business.
Price change calculator
You'll find the RPI adjustments on your April 2021 bill. Or you can work it out any time with this handy calculator.
1. Select which tariff you are on
Choose from the two options below.
Enter the current monthly price
As an O2 Refresh or Business Essentials tariff customer, only the price of your Airtime Plan is affected by RPI, not your monthly Device Plan repayment. You'll find the old price of your Airtime Plan on any bill or statement with a date before 1 April 2021. Either log on to My O2 or check your paper bill, if you get one. Just make sure the price you include doesn't include any Bolt Ons.
You'll find the current price of your mobile tariff on any bill or statement with a date before 1 April 2021. Either log on to My O2 or check your paper bill, if you get one. Just make sure the price you include doesn't include any Bolt Ons.