Millions are set to be hit by a major increase in bills as a major TV and broadband firm confirmed the increase
MILLIONS of households will be hit by a huge rise in bills next year as major films reveal plans to increase broadband and TV bills.
Sky said this morning that the average customer will pay an extra 6.7% from April.
The announcement comes as Brits struggle with the rising cost of living, with energy prices, food and tax bills all remaining at sky-high levels.
Sky is the latest company to announce bill increases, with mobile, TV and broadband customers all affected.
The company said that “it does not make these decisions lightly.”
The change depends on which Sky products you have and when you signed up.
If you currently pay £39 a month for Sky TV, Netflix and superfast broadband, you'll pay an extra £2.61, taking this up to £41.60.
Customers affected will be contacted at the end of February to let them know how the changes will affect their products.
If you're on a social broadband and mobile tariff, you won't see an increase in your bills because Sky has frozen its rates.
Social tariffs are broadband and mobile phone packages available to people with certain benefits
It comes after Sky announced that the average mobile customer without a contract will see their monthly bill rise by 3%.
While price increases are never welcome, Sky's increase falls below the level that broadband companies are allowed to increase their bills.
Providers typically increase their prices annually based on inflation plus an additional 3.9%.
The consumer price index (CPI) was 4% in December, so broadband bills could rise by as much as 7.9% in April.
Uswitch calculated that the increase could cost individual consumers around £27.19 more per year for broadband.
BT, EE and Three are among the companies that have confirmed to The Sun that they will impose bills of up to 7.9%
Ofcom is currently investigating inflation-related price increases during the contract, but has yet to publish a final decision on its proposals to ban the practice.
A survey by Which? found that 78% of consumers believe that mid-contract price increases are always unfair.
Alex Tofts, broadband spokesperson at Broadband Genie, said: “Each provider determines its price increase based on its chosen metric.
“In recent years, the unpredictable and volatile nature of inflation has left broadband customers in the dark about future price increases before signing a contract.”
Last year Sky increased its bills by an average of £67, after a £43 increase the year before.
How much will my bill increase by?
Your internet provider or mobile network will contact you to let you know how much your bills will increase in April.
There's also an easy way to find out how much you still have to pay.
Just find out what percentage of your current monthly bill will increase. You can use an online percentage calculator to calculate this.
Then add these two figures together to get your new monthly amount.
To calculate your annual costs, multiply that total by 12.
If you are not happy with the increase, you can try to negotiate a cheaper deal
You may be able to leave without paying any compensation, even if your contract is halfway through. So it's worth checking this out.
If you think your bills are too high and you want to pay less, the first thing you should do is find out what the cheapest deal on the market is.
You can use this rate as a negotiating tool to get a better offer from your provider.
Contact your provider to see if they can match this rate. If not, you might want to switch.
If you are halfway through your contract and want to leave, please note that you may be charged an exit fee. So contact your provider for any costs.
Additionally, these prices can be more difficult to negotiate as they come from all providers most years.
For more ways to reduce your phone bill, we have eight tips to reduce costs.
Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money@the-sun.co.uk.
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