Sky to hike prices by up to £72 a year for millions of customers
MILLIONS of Sky broadband and TV customers are to see bills go up by up to £72 a year from April 1.
The telecoms giant said that on average customers will pay £3 a month extra or £36 a year.
It is hiking the cost of four TV and broadband packages, with its essential broadband package increasing by £2 from £20 to £22.
It is also pushing up the cost of Sky Entertainment from £22 to £24 a year - adding £2 a year to bills.
Customers who have its multi-screen option will see bills go up £1 a month, from £13 to £14.
While those with HD TV will also pay an extra £1, from £5 to £6 a month.
How to beat the hikes
IF you're a Sky customer outside the minimum term of your contract then you can leave penalty free.
For TV customers you have to give 30 days notice. For more information on how to cancel visit the
If you're a broadband and phone customer - and you're outside the minimum term of your contract - then you can leave without paying a fee too. You need to give 14 days notice.
If you're still in your contract and you're unhappy about the increase but don't want to leave Sky then you can try calling up to haggle.
Telecoms firms don't wan't to lose customers so its worth seeing if they can do you a better deal.
The best way to do this is by finding a better deal than you're already on. Then call up Sky and say you'd like to leave.
Ask if there is any way they can cut your bills. If they refuse, then ask if there are any free extras that they can throw in.
It is keeping the cost of TV packages Sky Cinema and Sky Kids the same, while Sky Sports customers will see no increase and will continue to pay £23 a month.
Superfast broadband customers will also not pay extra.
Customers affected by the rise will be contacted by email or post.
Unfortunately, most customers will not able to leave Sky if they are still in the minimum term of their contract, with the exception of Essentials Broadband customers.
Essentials customers currently pay £26 a month for all-in-one broadband, calls and Sky TV. These prices are frozen for three years so they're unaffected by the hikes.
But Essentials customers with broadband only will see prices rise from £20 a month to £22 a month, and their contracts allow them to cancel penalty free as long as they notify within 30 days of receiving notification of the hike.
You can't cancel if you haven't been notified directly yet, so you will need to wait for this - and you can only cancel the broadband element, even if you have other Sky packages on top.
Sky wouldn't tell us how many customers have this particular package.
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If customers are outside the minimum term of their contract then they can leave Sky but need to give 31 days notice.
Last year, Sky upped prices by upto £42 a year. While in 2018 it increased costs by £30 a year.
A Sky spokesperson said: “We know price increases are never welcome, so we try to keep prices down while continuing to bring customers the best entertainment all in one place, leading customer service and even more flexibility to choose the package that best suits them.”
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