diff --git a/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml b/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml
index c0d811c..4b4d0cf 100644
--- a/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml
+++ b/.pre-commit-hooks.yaml
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
     language: python
     types: [text]
 -   id: fix-encoding-pragma
-    name: fix python encoding pragma
+    name: fix python encoding pragma (deprecated)
     description: 'adds # -*- coding: utf-8 -*- to the top of python files.'
     language: python
     entry: fix-encoding-pragma
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9ae7ec5..ee959fd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@
 removes UTF-8 byte order marker
 
 #### `fix-encoding-pragma`
+
+_Deprecated since py2 is EOL - use [pyupgrade](https://github.com/asottile/pyupgrade) instead._
+
 Add `# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-` to the top of python files.
   - To remove the coding pragma pass `--remove` (useful in a python3-only codebase)
 
diff --git a/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py b/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py
index 60c71ee..eee6705 100644
--- a/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py
+++ b/pre_commit_hooks/fix_encoding_pragma.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import argparse
+import sys
 from typing import IO
 from typing import NamedTuple
 from typing import Sequence
@@ -107,6 +108,13 @@
 
 
 def main(argv: Sequence[str] | None = None) -> int:
+    print(
+        'warning: this hook is deprecated and will be removed in a future '
+        'release because py2 is EOL. instead, use '
+        'https://github.com/asottile/pyupgrade',
+        file=sys.stderr,
+    )
+
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         'Fixes the encoding pragma of python files',
     )