End of free paper bills for mobile users

From March, T-Mobile customers that receive their bills by post will be forced to pay an additional £1 a month for the privilege, according to independent price comparison and switching service, uSwitch.com. With an estimated 627,000 T-Mobile customers currently receiving paper bills, the penalty could add up to £7.5 million a year in additional charges unless customers go online and opt for electronic billing. Customers that do nothing will be charged from their next phone bill.

T-Mobile is the last of the major networks to penalise customers wishing to receive itemised bills on paper rather than online. Those opting for paper bills can now expect to pay a minimum of £1 a month in additional fees - although for T-Mobile's sister company, Orange, this rises sharply to £1.54 a month.

Overall, three quarters of mobile customers now receive their bills electronically - but with this comes the danger that bills are being overlooked. According to uSwitch.com's survey, nearly half (49%) of customers on e-billing check their bills online every month - but, worryingly, 35% only check their bills occasionally and 14% never check them at all. Of these, 4% can't remember their login details and 10% believe it's simply too much hassle.

Ernest Doku, technology expert at uSwitch.com, comments: "Paper bills are fast becoming a luxury that many consumers can no longer afford. £1 a month may not seem like much, but for many this is simply money down the drain.

"There are benefits to receiving bills online, both financially and environmentally, but it's important that customers continue to check their bill rigorously every month when the text alert comes through. The last options left for customers still wanting to get a bill in the post are either Three or Vodafone, who both offer a bill summary on paper for free - for the time being at least."