April is often the time of year when thousands of businesses and services raise their prices to reflect higher inflation rates, but continued pressure on the cost of living has led to a wave of high bills.
Home broadband prices are just one of many things set to rise for consumers as BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Plusnet and others raise their rates. This means bill payers will now be charged up to 14.4% more for the same service or plan.
That's a few extra pounds a month, but when the current rise in council tax bills, water charges, landline and mobile phone subscriptions is added to the mix, consumers are feeling the pressure.
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Energy bills have stabilized since the price guarantee, but many households will continue to suffer as the government's winter payment rules expire. The list of additional costs is endless as companies try to offset inflation, now at 10.4%, and make consumers pay the price.
Support is available, which can mean bill payers can still stay connected at home despite inflated rates, and it doesn't necessarily mean you need to change your current package.
During the recent increases in cell phone prices, providers such as Vodafone, Sky, Tesco Mobile and EE have introduced increases in car prices, but supports have been made available for those who can no longer afford their plans. Customers can switch to social plans like EE's £12 Basics plan.
As broadband prices rise, similar support has been put in place to ensure homes can stay connected. We've gathered the support, guidance and alternatives offered by major UK suppliers who confirmed April price increases.
Virgo Media
Customers with broadband, TV or landline packages will have a price increase of 20.00 euros13,8%slightly less than the 17.3% moving increases this month. This increases the price by £2.76 for every £20 of a current tariff.
Customers were notified of price changes between January and February of this year, meaning customers would have to pay to leave after the 30-day window expired. But there are some alternatives that customers can look for.
Plus it's socialPacote Broadband "Essentials"(at £12.50 a month) For customers receiving benefits, Virgin Media also has avulnerable client policy. Customers with additional needs or who are financially vulnerable may have access to other packages or premiums – for example, support for unpaid caregivers.
This would allow customers to gain access to lower pay rates without receiving any kind of benefit, although customers would need to contact Virgin directly to see if this applies to them and/or their current plan.
Customers can reach Virgin Media customer service by calling toll free 0345 454 1111 or connecting with an agent on live chat.Here.
The best broadband deals of 2023
With UK broadband providers raising their rates by up to 14% in line with inflation, these are some of the cheapest plans on the market.
Providers such as Talk Talk, Plusnet, Vodafone and EE raised their prices by 14.4% to cover additional costs. Sky Mobile currently has the cheapest 8.1% price increase for its broadband packages, but that still means customers are paying an extra £5 per month as prices are more expensive to start with.
Amidst the price increases, these are some of the cheapest deals out there.
- Sky Superfast Broadband from £26 a month with £75 coupon
- Broadband NOW from £28 a month
- BT Fiber Broadband with a £100 Virtual Rewards Card from £29
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Paradise
Sky broadband and TV customers are experiencing an average price increase of 8.1%, one of the cheapest price increases compared to other providers with a price increase of over 14%. This works out to an extra £5 a month or £67 for the full year.
The only customers not subject to bill increases are those of the networkSozialtarif Sky Broadband Basicsand customers who signed up for Sky Stream and Sky Glass packages from 18th October.
But where are those facing higher bills? Sky customers can leave if they are outside the minimum contract period, which can be done above'How do I unsubscribe'book page.
Broadband customers can also opt out within the minimum contract period, but must cancel within 30 days of the price increases being announced.
If you're worried about rising costs, there's plenty of support available for customers who are struggling to pay their monthly bills. Customers can find support by logging into their account, after logging in visit Help (top right) and select Sky TV or Broadband. Then select Account & Billing, Invoices & Payments, then Problems paying my invoice.
Here, customers have the option to choose what they need help from these categories; "Debt management", "Manage my call charges", "Trouble paying my Sky Talk bill", "Trouble paying my streaming TV bill" and "Trouble paying my Sky Mobile bill".
Customers who are not sure how much time is left on their contract, or who expect their contract to end soon, can check the specific end date and details here.
BT
As one of the first providers to implement price increases on 31 March, BT broadband customers are now paying 14.4% more for their bundles than in previous months. This equates to an average increase of £3.50 a month, or £42 a year.
The price increases saw thatBT phase 2Packages range from £29 to around £34 and the popular BT Sport Monthly Pass has gone from £25 to £29.99 a month.
To help the growing number of customers who are now struggling to pay their bills with the extra costs, BT has a social broadband plan,BT Home Essentials.
The 12-month contract is for customers receiving Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance or Income Support and costs £15 per month. Eligible customers will have access to the Social Broadband plan for a full year, even if they no longer need the service during that period.
BT also offers a mobile social tariffEE-Basics-Tariff, low-income users can access unlimited calls, texts and 5GB of data per month for £12.
EE
Broadband price increases for customers in the EE are similar to BT as the provider is owned by the BT Group. Customers with the EE Fiber Broadband plan, EE Full Fiber plan or EE Home WiFi package will pay 14.4% more each month starting in April 2023.
It also means that the support available to customers who are struggling to pay their bills is the same as for BT Broadband customers, and they have the option to sign up for BT Essential Broadband when they receive benefits and customers can change a call to 0800 079 5122.
However, this does not help those who do not get any kind of benefit, but struggle to cope with the extra cost. Customers who fall into this category should contact EE to discuss individual payment plans.
It's not always widely known, but EE is one of the few providers that allows customers to customize direct debit details to suit their finances, agree on individual payment plans, and give customers more time to pay if they run into problems (which reduces monthly costs). Details can be foundHere.
O2
Customers subject to price increases if subscribing after March 25, 2021 will pay a 17.3% increase if the plan is completed or upgraded after March 25, 2021. However, provider price increases are described for their mobile services as broadband prices have yet to rise.
This could be because he only really offerslong bandfor companies and not for families. The provider's business fiber broadband starts at £24 a month for a single employee or £27 a month for an entire office.
Plusnet
CurrentPlusnet long bandUsers face a 14.4% increase regardless of when they sign up. Unlike some of the other provider increases described above, Plusnet customers who signed up for a plan before or after October 6, 2020 can expect the same increase starting this month.
Your unlimited fiber broadband package will now increase to £21.23 a month from £18.56 before - an additional charge of £2.67 a month.
Affected customers will see a price increase of around £1 per week, so a maximum increase of around £52 per year. The changes have already been presented to customers and have been implemented since March 31st.
The additional prices also mean a 3.9% increase in the cancellation fee for customers who cancel within the minimum contract term.
If customers do not pay their monthly bill within 14 days, customers will only be able to access the Internet to access the Plusnet website and a charge of £5.76 will be added to the unpaid balance.
If you're having trouble paying or are concerned about fees going up, you can get help from the help page here.
Talk Talk
Pricing for broadband users will be14.4% increaseAs with most providers mentioned above, this applies to customers who don't have a fixed price anymore and are still within the minimum contract period.
This means that customers cannot switch to another provider with a lower price increase unless their contract has already expired.
TalkTalk is also one of the few providers that still does not have a social tariff for those who have to pay their bills due to lack of income. However, the network currently offers flexible payment options, including aPrepaid-Sparplan.This gives customers a 10% discount (even on the highest April prices) when they pay 12 months upfront.
You can find Talk Talk's contact details atHere.
vodafone
The broadband gains will affect customers who use the provider's home broadband for laptops and computers at home, as well as those who use their mobile broadband packages to connect laptops to 3G, 4G or 5G networks on the go.
Vodafone raised prices for home and mobile broadbanda 14.4%for all customers who opened a plan after December 9, 2020. Customers who joined a plan before that date are still affected by the price increases, but by less than 13.8%.
Residential broadband plans opened between February 2, 2021 and February 23, 2023 will also see increased rates of 14.4% starting this month. This works out to an additional £1.44 for every £10 of the plan price.
As a result, Fiber 1's home broadband packages (which start at around £24 a month) cost an additional £2.88 to £26.88. The additional annual cost is £34.56.
The only product not affected by the cost increase isVodafone Essentials Long BandBundle, again for users receiving benefits, at a cost of £12 per month for a download speed of 38mps.
Customers who don't qualify for its social broadband but still need help covering the extra costs can set up agreed payment plans with Vodafone, and the provider is encouraging those who are struggling to do so.get in touchto talk about individual repayment plans.
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