Lockdown has really emphasized the need for good TV entertainment, a solid WiFi connection, and the kind of leisure setup that provides a good dose of escapism. So, it's bad news for Sky customers who will face soaring costs, as price rises are set to take effect from April onwards.
Sky Broadband and TV costs will ramp up for new and existing customers from April, even hitting home phone prices, as new and current customers' pockets will be damaged from May 1 onwards. If your bill is being increased, you’ll receive notice of the exact amount it'll increase by post or email somewhere between February 17 and March 27.
That said, there are ways you can look to minimize the damage with some astute foresight and a meticulous assessment of the add-ons you currently use. You can unpick the price increases below and prepare for the incoming hikes by assessing exactly what you do and don't need.
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According to Sky, most of its customers should see a price hike of $50/£36/AU$70 per year. In a bid to potentially ease customers' concerns, Sky has stated that the maximum annual increase – $100/£72/AU$128 – should only hit around eight percent of its user base.
It can get very confusing with all the extra services that you can get tacked-on to your package, including remembering exactly what you signed up for back when you bought into the Sky offering. Here’s a rundown of all the sweeping cost hikes that’ll be hitting UK users:
Sky TV
- The Sky Signature TV package will rise from £25 to £26 a month
- The HD add-on, which bundles in HD and UHD streaming, goes up from £6 to £7 a month
- The Sky Multiscreen bolt-on rises from £14 to £15 a month
- The BT Sport package add-on, delivering a variety of sporting content, will increase from £25 to £27 a month
- Finally, the Sky Ultimate bundle rises from £4 to £5 a month
Sky Broadband
- Sky Broadband Essential increases from £22 to £25 a month
- Sky Broadband Superfast (speeds of 59Mbps) increases from £27 to £28 a month
Sky Home Phone
- Sky Talk Anytime Extra is bumped upwards from £10 to £12 a month
- Sky Talk International Extra goes up from £12 to £14 a month
- Sky Talk International Extra increases £12 to £14 a month
In recent times, Sky has been busy boosting its offering, rolling out a slew of updates to its Sky Q box, including access to Amazon Prime (which completely removes the hassle of switching been different cable outputs with those pesky HDMI ports). It’s even added access to brand new streaming services like Disney Plus.
If this price hike sours your soul and will ruin the Sky experience when it's enacted, you could always look to opt for something different. Maybe make the switch to a new media rigout from our best media streamer list to plug that entertainment gap, using a sparkly piece of new hardware from our best TV guide.
It's best to take a thorough look at these prices and analyze what you deem as surplus to your entertainment requirements. Maybe you want to cut back, revisit exactly what add-ons you need, or change tack and grab something like the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which provides an abundance of entertainment content. There's plenty of options, but make sure you opt-out of the subscription before Sky introduces the increases.
Source: MoneySavingExpert
