I’ll admit, I don’t check my cable bill every month. Does anyone? I have it on auto-debit, I don’t really order a lot of pay-per-view or on-demand movies, so it is usually pretty consistent.

Needless to say, I was a little worried when I noticed the rate inch up. I dismissed it for one month, thinking my wife ordered an on-demand movie or two. However, this month it for sure went up. After I went over the line-up charges, here is what I found increased. And, keep in mind, I am supposed to be in a contract where the obvious advantage is that the rate should hold for 24 months.

TV Box and Remote: Went from $2.68 to $5.00. (Increase of $2.32)

Modem Rental Fee: It seems the rumors are now confirmed, as this price went from $13.00 to $14.00. Why do they even charge? They use these devices as Wi-Fi hotspots and most customers don’t even know it. (Increase of $1.00).

Comcast also has a new router out. No word yet on what that will cost, at least from what I can find online.

Broadcast TV Fee: Up from $10.00 to $14.00. (Increase of $4.00)

Regulatory Fees: Up a net $1.23 total.

Government Fees and Taxes: This includes sales tax and the 911 fee, which went from $2.36 to $2.93. (Increase of .57 cents).

So, all in all, my so-called price-protected bundle went up in price $9.12, clearly not the end of the world. To be fair to Comcast, what is technically protected in my contract upon me digging into their marketing materials is my “Super Triple” Play package price of $149.95 before taxes, fees and equipment. However, how many customers, like me, were never told that or saw that verbiage online when we signed up? I look pretty hard as I used to work in the cable industry, and I never saw anything on the website, when I have made changes to my account or when I spoke to a customer service rep. Another reason I will be cutting the cord, and soon.

Harry J. Kazianis is a Senior Director at the Center for the National Interest and Executive Editor of their publishing arm, the National Interest. His work and ideas have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, Fox News, CNBC, USA Today, The Week, The Hill, the American Conservative and many other outlets across the political spectrum. Harry enjoys writing about technology issues and products from a real-world perspective, having previously worked in the telecommunications industry from 2000-2011. You can follow him (or yell at him) on Twitter: @Grecianformula.

Image: Reuters.