Household Bills
Sky bills to rise by up to £72 a year.
Guest Author:
Emma LunnMillions of Sky broadband, TV and home phone customers will be hit with price hikes of up to £72 a year from April.
Existing Sky TV and broadband customers will see their bill go up from 1 April, while home phone prices will change for existing customers from 1 May.
Sky customers affected by the price hikes will be notified by post before 27 March, while anyone taking out a new Sky contract from tomorrow will pay the increased prices.
How much will my bill go up by?
The change to your bill will depend on which Sky products you have and when you signed your contract.
Sky says the average increase will be just over £3 a month, or £36 a year. The price rises are capped at £6 a month, or £72 a year.
Sky says 8% of customers will be hit by the maximum £72 a year price rise.
If you’re within your minimum contract term the following price rises will apply.
- Sky Signature TV package will increase by £1 a month (from £25 to £26 a month)
- Multiscreen will increase by £1 a month (from £14 to £15 a month)
- Sky HD will increase by £1 a month (from £6 to £7 a month)
- Sky Ultimate will increase by £1 a month (from £4 to £5 a month)
- BT Sport will increase by £2 a month (from £25 to £27 a month)
- Sky Broadband Essential will increase by £3 a month (from £22 to £25 a month)
- Sky Broadband Superfast will increase by £1 a month (from £27 to £28 a month)
- Sky Talk Anytime Extra will increase by £2 a month (from £10 to £12 a month)
- Sky Talk International Extra will increase by £2 a month (from £12 to £14 a month)
Several packages, including Sky Sports, Sky Cinema, Sky Kids and Sky Talk Evening and Weekends Extra, aren’t changing in price. Sky Mobile customers are not affected by the price rises.
Sky isn’t the only telecoms firm to announce price increases. BT and EE customers face price increases of up to 4.5% from 31 March.
Nick Baker, broadband expert at Uswitch.com, said: “Almost one million Sky subscribers could see their annual bill go up by as much as £72 at a time when many household budgets are already stretched to the limit.
“Sky Broadband Essential customers will see the biggest hike, with prices going up more than 13% from £22 a month to £25. Price rises have become an unwelcome spring tradition, and this hike lands before the ink is barely dry on both Virgin Media and BT’s recent increases.
“Sky’s broadband and TV price rise doesn’t kick in until April 1, so there’s plenty of time to avoid these changes if you’re not happy. Broadband customers who are still in the minimum term of their contract can leave penalty-free if they act within 30 days of receiving their notification.”