British mobile phone customers are wasting nearly £13billion a year by paying for minutes and texts that they never use, moneysupermarket.com has revealed.

In its annual Mobile Money Report, moneysupermarket.com has found that the average Brit is wasting more money than ever on their mobile phones, with nearly half of the minutes and texts included in their mobile tariff going to waste.

Each UK adult wastes an average £250 a year by paying for a tariff which exceeds their requirements, the research shows, paying for up to 27 hours worth of calls they will never use.

The latest figures reveal that the situation has deteriorated, as adults are wasting up to 40 per cent more minutes and twice as many text messages as they were in 2007.

Commenting on the report’s findings, Mike Wilson, manager of mobiles and broadband at moneysupermarket.com explains why this might be happening:

“With a rise in the popularity of the iPhone and other smartphones with increased capabilities and internet access, the allowance of texts and minutes on a tariff has become less important. With these other considerations taking priority, people are wasting more texts and minutes than ever before.”

While Mr Wilson applauds consumers for not exceeding their limit and incurring extra charnges, he urges that “it’s also important to get the most out of your contract for what you pay each month.”

He recommends that they assess what minutes and texts they actually use each month and then compare mobile phone deals to find a contract which suits their usage. “You may find a much lower, cheaper tariff meets your needs,” he said.

© Fair Investment Company Ltd