Love is…no in-contract price hikes (we know, we’re such romantics)

It’s that time of year again, when couples new and old unite in making a romantic commitment to their relationships.

And in that spirit, we’d like to remind you of the lasting commitment we’ve made to our relationship. OK, Zen’s Contract Price Promise is hardly the last word in romance, but it will last a lot longer than a bunch of last-minute petrol station roses.

A quick reminder of what our Broadband Contract Price Promise is. It’s our guarantee to you that the price we agree at the beginning of your contract will be the price you’re still paying at the end, with no nasty in-contract surprises.

You’re probably thinking that all contracts should be like that, with no reminders needed. It shouldn’t even be A Thing. You’re right and we agree. But just as some suitors make promises on a romantic February night that they’ve broken before the leaves are back on the trees, so a lot of broadband providers offer you a price during the first flush of courtship that they hike up almost as soon as you’ve committed to the relationship.

In fact, up until recently, surprise annual in-contract price hikes that aligned with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), plus an additional 3.9%, were common. That’s quite a rise, and it’s something we’ve promised for a long time that we’ll never do.

Things changed for the better just a couple of weeks ago. You may have seen that at the end of January Ofcom enforced a “nasty surprise” mid-contract price rise ban. That’s a step in the right direction, but in our opinion it doesn’t go far enough.

Providers can still raise prices mid contract, they just have to set out upfront - and in easy-to-grasp “pounds and pence” terms - the details of any expected price rises for the duration of the deal. In other words, your next price rise might not be a surprise, but it could still be nasty.

We wrote about the new rules in detail when they were at the proposal stage. You can read our thoughts here.

We prefer our way of doing it: no in-contract price rises ever. It’s simple, easy to understand and fair. It’s a reflection of our values as a B Corp certified company that believes in happiness and putting people first.

We also think it’s something that contributes to our high standing among customers, reflected in Which? Recommended Provider status, multiple consecutive PC Pro awards and an Excellent Trustpilot rating. These are commendations based on the sentiment of real people who take broadband services from Zen.

So our Contract Price Promise is here to stay. It means you know your bill will stay the same for the duration of your contract, making it easier to budget. And it means you’ll never feel cheated by a Valentine’s lothario who turns out to be all talk.

Interested in better broadband from a provider that puts people first? Enter your postcode and check out our packages here.