Rubes I don’t bother with a contract anymore, I’m on Dolphin with Orange. it’s a tenner a month and you et 300 texts and half price talk time. If you put 20 quid in you get 600 texts and for 30 quid you get unlimited texts, oh and you also get free tinternet time 8)
I only really use the texts so my credit on my phone mounts up.
Not much help to your questions but if you don’t want a contract then I’d say this is the better option