Martin Lewis has issued a call to action for mobile phone users, advising them to send a five-digit text message as soon as possible. The financial guru highlighted that millions of customers are stuck in expensive tariffs despite their contracts having expired.

He revealed that approximately 14 million people across the UK are paying more than necessary and could potentially save hundreds of pounds. Viewers were instructed to check their contract status by sending ‘INFO’ free of charge to 85075. If the ‘Early Termination” or “Cancellation Charge’ shows £0, indicating your contract has ended, the Money Saving Expert founder suggested, ‘go to a cheap SIM comparison site’, where various providers offer the same SIM package for significantly less. “If you’re on a multiple-phone contract, you won’t be able to do this”, he added. He has previously discussed how the cost of acquiring a new SIM has decreased – allowing consumers to fully utilise their device for much less. He stated earlier: “Prices have been going up and up. At the same time the cost of new customer SIM deals have been plummeting. For 50gb two years ago you’d have been paying £9. Now you can get it as cheap as about £3 a month.”

Referring to a chart displayed on screen, Mr Lewis noted: “Look at that dispersal – you’ve got existing customers going up and up and up and new customers going down and down and down.”

Mr Lewis then outlined his three-step approach for mobile customers looking to reduce their expenses. He stated: “14 million people are out of contract on their mobile phone bill, which means you are free to switch.”

He revealed there’s a straightforward method to determine if you’re among them. Mr Lewis advised: “You text ‘info’ for free to 85075 to check.” He noted that Three customers would then need to provide their date of birth.

He clarified that anyone still tied into their contract would face an early termination charge, but otherwise users are at liberty to switch networks: “You’re a free agent – you can go and get the cheapest deals, you can cut your costs.”

He pointed out that those on joint family mobile packages won’t receive a response, but offered his general guideline that if you haven’t switched providers in two years, you’re probably out of contract.

He continued: “Next, you do a cheap SIM comparison. Most of the deals are not available directly from the mobile phone companies because then they might have to give them to existing customers, and are only on comparison sites, and they tend to be short-lived.”

He explained that when individuals opt to switch networks whilst retaining their current number, they simply need to text PAC (Porting Authorisation Code) to 85075 and give that code to their new network, which will then migrate the number.

The founder of Money Saving Expert (MSE) disclosed that the best deals aren’t found by directly contacting the major providers.

Instead, he advised those whose contracts have ended to utilise comparison websites. He said: “Now I know what you’re probably saying to me. You’re going, ‘Yeah, but I like my signal. I don’t want to change.’ Well, if you do remember, there are only four mobile networks in the UK.

“Every other one is piggybacking off one of those four. So you want to do a comparison that says, “What’s the cheapest deal on the signal I currently have?”

“And if you go to the cheap mobile finder on my site, you can do that type of search and see what’s out there and what’s available. I mean, you have to be careful.

“My main message. Do that text, see if you’re out of contract and check before prices go up. Whether you can save a shed load by switching hope that helps.”