Sky broadband and TV price rises: can you avoid the hikes?

Each winter, Sky typically announces that it plans to increase the price of at least some of its broadband and pay TV deals. This usually happens in February, with affected customers told how their prices will be increasing.

However, unlike with many other broadband providers, Sky's price increases could represent a great opportunity for its customers to make big savings by switching or haggling.

Read on to discover how you could save. 

Find out how Sky fares in our guide to the best and worst broadband providers.

Option 1: switch away from Sky

Sky is somewhat of an anomaly in the broadband market – it doesn't offer fixed prices like Utility Warehouse and Zen Internet, but it also doesn't write price increases into its contracts like many of its big competitors (BT, EE, Hyperoptic, Plusnet, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Vodafone). 

Sky announces ad-hoc price rises each year, and Ofcom's rules state that if providers apply an unexpected price increase to their broadband, mobile phone or landline deals, they must then allow customers to leave their contract penalty-free. That means that many of those affected by Sky’s price increases will have the right to switch if they wish. 

However, for Sky pay-TV customers the situation is different – they aren't given the same right to exit without facing an early termination fee, but can still switch or cancel if out of contract. 

Your letter from Sky will explain whether you have the right to exit your contract. If you do, you will have 30 days after being informed of the price rise to switch without being hit with an exit fee. This is a crucial window of opportunity to take action. 

If you're out of your contract with Sky, you're free to ditch your deal and switch providers at any time. But if you're within a fixed-term contract and concerned about being able to afford a higher price, you should still get in touch with Sky. It will take steps to help - read more about the things providers can do to offer support for customers struggling with their broadband bills.

Option 2: haggle with Sky to cut your bills

If you're happy with the service you get from Sky and you've been given the right to switch, this is a great opportunity to haggle. While it might sound daunting to some, that 30-day window is an opportunity to get a far better deal – Sky knows you can leave penalty-free if it refuses to budge. Plus, like most providers, Sky both expects and invites haggling.

The process is as simple as getting in touch with your provider and asking what it can offer. However, it always pays to check around to see how much you could be paying with a rival first, so you can present that to Sky as leverage. If you'd prefer, you can always discuss this with Sky over live online chat, rather than on the phone.

For a step-by-step guide, read our tips on how to haggle for the best broadband deal.

Are you out of contract with Sky?

If you're out of contract – the minimum fixed term of your deal has ended and you’re now paying on a rolling contract instead – you're always free to shop around to find a better deal. A price rise is a good motivation to look into alternatives, and in most cases you can expect to save money, especially if you've been a Sky customer for a long time. You could even end up paying less for a faster fibre deal. 

This is particularly relevant to customers who have pay-TV with Sky. Sky’s TV contracts all have terms allowing for price rises in the minimum term – and Sky argues that content services, such as its pay-TV deals, aren’t covered by Ofcom’s rules. However, if you aren’t within a minimum contract term, you’re free to leave.

Of course, haggling can be equally effective in this situation as well, if you're otherwise happy with the service and would prefer to stay. 

Alternative pay-TV options

If you enjoy the pay-TV service you receive from Sky, bear in mind that there are still ways to keep these channels and explore your options elsewhere. In the past, Sky's own channels, such as Sky Atlantic, Sky Movies and Sky Sports, had to come from Sky directly. Now, several other providers – BT, EE and TalkTalk included – base their TV offerings around Now passes. You don’t have to commit to the same set of channels for the full length of your contract either – flexible deals that you can change month to month are also available. 

Most of the things you can get from Sky can be accessed via other providers – it’s worth exploring whether you can get a more competitive deal. Of course, if you only want access to specific Sky content, you may want to consider simply subscribing to a Now pass instead – these are also flexible so particularly suit those who don't want or need a long-term commitment.

Read our TV and broadband provider reviews or our guide to Now's streaming subscription passes to find out more.

How to switch away from Sky

Our broadband comparison service makes it easy to explore new broadband deals available where you live – which is helpful both for considering a switch and for researching options you can present to Sky when haggling. Where we've reviewed providers, you can see how they rate and read full provider reviews from the deals presente. You can also get our guide to the best and worst broadband providers, to see how customers of each provider rated different aspects of its service, including value for money, broadband speeds and customer service.

Check the whole cost of the contract when you sign up – several big providers put their prices up each year, and you could easily end up paying significantly more than you sign up to. We show you how much prices will rise on our broadband comparison service too, plus you can see what discounts and other offers are available to new customers, so make sure you factor these in.

When you're ready to switch, you'll only have to contact your new provider, thanks to the introduction of One Touch Switch.