A third of Brits are considering additional SIM cards to avoid EU roaming charges

Phone bills are becoming a shock for Brits who have travelled abroad, as 49% are being hit with roaming charges from the mobile operator that they didn’t know existed following changes since the UK left the EU. On average, people are being charged an extra 51 euros by Vodafone, EE, and Three, because they are charging their customers around €2.67 per day for data roaming when travelling to the EU, including Spain.

A new survey carried out by Uswitch shows that 32% of respondents said they were surprised by the cost of accessing data while they were on holiday, with 49% of the people picking up these charges are aged between 25 and 34 years old.

In fact, more than half of this age group (25 to 34-year-olds) said they were likely to choose their phone provider based on who offers the best deals on EU roaming.

Currently, O2 is the only provider in the UK that includes EU roaming as standard, and some MVNOs like iD Mobile and Lebara also offer EU roaming in some contracts and plans.

Uswitch’s mobiles expert, Rehan Ali, explained that access to data abroad is a top priority for many Brits heading to Europe for their holidays. With inclusive roaming becoming less common among mobile networks, consumers are likely to opt for providers that still offer EU roaming in their plans.

Although some providers, like eSIMs, offer temporary international SIM solutions, Brits generally say they prefer to have roaming with their existing phone plans and contracts instead of other having additional SIM cards. In fact, just over 65% of respondents said they only want one card or contract.

A report by the EU Commission has revealed that more than 81% of EU residents can use mobile data, as well as call and text, without being charged extra. In addition, the survey revealed that a total of 72% of the respondents who have travelled to the EU do so once or twice a year. Another 28% said they travel more often.