While you might think that it pays to be loyal to your mortgage provider, you might actually end up paying more if you fail to remortgage.
According to Citizens Advice, you could end up paying over £400 extra a year if you fail to remortgage and go on to a lender’s standard variable rate at the end of your deal.
The charity found that people who remain on the standard rate after a two-year fixed term mortgage deal face an average loyalty penalty of £439 a year.
Citizens Advice calculated that 1.2 million people would be better off if they switched to a new deal – with one in 10 paying over £1,000 a year extra by staying on the standard variable rate.
First-time buyers, who typically have more debt and more time left on their mortgage, face paying an extra £1,359 a year once their two-year fixed deal expires.
Older and poorer mortgage holders are more likely to be hit by a loyalty penalty.
How much could a typical standard variable rate customer save by switching?
| Name of provider | Standard variable interest rate | Interest rate on a two-year fixed deal for typical SVR payer | Loyalty penalty for typical SVR payer |
| Nationwide Building Society | 3.74% | 1.59% | £702 |
| Santander | 4.49% | 1.64% | £666 |
| Barclays | 3.74% | 2.35% | £459 |
| HSBC | 3.69% | 1.54% | £441 |
| RBS | 3.75% | 2.59% | £260 |
| Lloyds | 3.74% | 2.39% | £186 |
The report also found low awareness of the problem – with over half of people (51%) on expired fixed term mortgages wrongly think they pay the same or less than newer customers.
Citizens Advice calculates that 83% of people currently on a standard variable rate (1.2 million) would be better off if they switched to a new deal.
However, it might be cheaper some people who have less left to pay on their mortgage to remain on the standard variable rate, rather than pay fees to take out a new mortgage.
Citizens Advice is calling for the Financial Conduct Authority to make all lenders provide clear information to new and existing customers about how much they could lose by rolling onto a standard variable rate.
It also says the FCA should consider changing the name of the default mortgage rate to help customers better understand the changed nature of the contract, such as replacing ‘standard variable rate’ with ‘expired rate’, for example.
Gillian Guy, Citizens Advice chief executive, said: “More than a million loyal mortgage customers are being stung with higher interest charges when their fixed deals end.
“Buying a home is a major life decision and borrowers taking out their first mortgage often spend a great deal of time working out the best option for them. Our research shows that many who choose fixed rate mortgage deals face steep price hikes once they expire. But two-thirds of borrowers say their lender has never told them they could save money by switching.
“Lenders must be more upfront and provide their customers with clear information about what could happen to the cost of their loan once the fixed term period ends.”
Ishaan Malhi, CEO and Founder of online mortgage broker Trussle, said: “It’s hugely refreshing to see a credible and trusted consumer group like Citizens Advice turning its attention to the mortgage sector, more specifically, to the millions of mortgage borrowers getting an unfair deal because they stick with one lender.
“While most mortgage borrowers understand that they need to consider switching when their initial fixed period comes to an end, so many are failing to do so. From our own research, we’ve found that there are a number of causes of this inertia, which the industry could address collectively. This is why we’re also calling for industry action in the shape of a Mortgage Switch Guarantee, mirroring the consumer benefits recently implemented in the energy and current account markets.
“Looking at the report, we agree that lenders need to nudge their customers into action more often and that there needs to be greater standardisation of the way that rates are advertised so that consumers can easily compare. It seems utterly counterintuitive that a market should punish its customers for loyalty and it’s clear that something needs to change.”
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