Virgin Media customers were warned in January their bills would rise and now, the time has finally come. From tomorrow, millions of Virgin Media TV and broadband users will see their monthly costs increase with the majority set to be hit by a hike of around £3.63 a month. That’s an extra £43.56 each year. If you’re one of the really unlucky ones, however, you could see an extra £4.50 a month, £54 a year, added to your bills.
Although this increase won’t be welcomed, Virgin didn’t hike prices at all last year, so it was inevitable that things would change in 2021. It’s also worth noting that Virgin isn’ the only telecom firm changing its contracts. Competitors including BT, EE, and Sky are all increasing prices soon.
Speaking about the hike, a Virgin Media spokesperson said: “Through continued investment, improvement and innovation we’re committed to providing great value and a top service for our customers.
“Over the last year our customers have used their connectivity more than ever before, with data use increasing at the fastest rate we’ve ever seen. We’re already investing more than £1bn in our network each year and consistently give our customers more megabits for their money, but to help meet this demand we do sometimes need to review our prices.”
“Changing prices is never an easy decision, which is why, unlike other providers, this is our first cable price change in 18 months. We are currently writing to cable customers to transparently communicate these changes and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure we deliver for our customers and keep them connected at a time when it has never been more important.”
READ MORE: Some lucky Virgin Media customers will now get Sky TV’s best feature for free
HERE ARE SOME TOP TIPS FOR REDUCING YOUR BILLS
• Check your contract. If your deal has ended it’s always worth renegotiating as, although you’ll have to sign up to a new term, it’s likely you’ll get a much cheaper price,
• Do your research on other broadband and TV companies and try to find a similar deal at a lower price. New customers usually get a lower price so might find switching can save some serious money.
• Be nice – when you call your supplier take a friendly tone as this is more likely to help you than being aggressive
• Be prepared to sign a new contract. Companies won’t drop prices without locking into the offer for 18 months
• If you do decide to leave your current broadband supplier, make sure you are getting a like-for-like service somewhere else. Lower prices may seem enticing but can often mean slower speeds and capped allowances.
