If you’re a Sky Broadband customer, it's likely your bill rose in April 2024.
Unlike other broadband providers who are charged a blanket rate increase for all customers, this price hike depended on many factors, including individual packages. As a guide, the average price rise was 6.7% (slightly lower than competitor providers).
There’s one bit of good news, though. Unlike other ISPs, who lock mid-contract customers in, Sky will let you leave your broadband contract early if you’re not happy with these changes.
Let’s explore the finer details.
Sky Broadband price increases: the key points
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Sky 2024 price increase: customer advice
Unlike other big name broadband providers who raise their prices based on a CPI or RPI rate, most Sky broadband and TV customers saw a more general price rise applied to the cost of their contract in April 2024.
The average increase across all Sky products was 6.7%.
In comparison, the likes of BT, Plusnet, TalkTalk, Virgin and Vodafone imposed higher percentage rates, ranging from 7.7% to the steepest hike this year, from Virgin Media (8.8%).
Last year, the story was similar. Whilst other providers increased their bills by around 14%, Sky’s price increase averaged 8%.
Before price rises are applied, all affected customers should receive a notice from Sky Broadband. In Sky Broadband’s terms and conditions, this is covered by the clause: ‘Sky broadband is variable and our prices and Products can change, even during your Minimum Term.’
How much did Sky broadband go up in 2024?
Sky’s 2024 price rise was an average of 6.7%. As a guide, here’s how that affected the base rate of the following deals:
| Sky Package | Monthly Price | After 6.7% price rise |
|---|---|---|
| Sky Broadband Superfast | £28 | £29.87 |
| Sky Broadband Ultrafast | £30 | £32.01 |
| Sky Stream, Ultrafast Broadband + Netflix | £39 | £41.61 |
| Sky Broadband Gigafast | £44 | £46.94 |
Which Sky customers were affected by price increases?
The price hikes applied to most Sky broadband and TV customers. However, prices were frozen for those on Sky’s social tariff, ‘Sky Broadband Basics’, or customers deemed to be ‘vulnerable’.
Why do existing Sky customers pay more?
Unfortunately, it’s very rare for customers to get any kind of loyalty bonus or perks from their broadband providers any more. The longer you’re with a broadband provider, the worse your deal will get.
The market is tailored to attracting new customers with incentives including cheaper monthly prices and sign-up rewards. This is the case for all providers, not just Sky.
The Genie says...
The best way to combat price hikes is to switch as soon as you’re out of contract.
Can I cancel Sky if it increases prices?
The good news is that once you’ve received confirmation of your price rise, you’ll have 30 days to leave. You won’t have to pay an early termination fee if you’re a Sky Broadband customer. However, you will have to pay early exit fees if you’re also under contract for a TV package.
In comparison, most other providers aren’t allowing customers to leave due to price rises and this is included in the small print of their contracts.
When will Sky next raise its prices?
This particular price hike isn’t classed as a yearly price rise. Sky Broadband products are variable, so prices can be tweaked at any time. However, Sky Broadband customers are currently free to leave, penalty-free, every time they're given notice of a price hike they aren’t happy with.
Can I haggle prices with Sky?
If you feel like you can’t afford your Sky broadband package, it’s important to get in touch with Sky customer services.
If you’re on benefits including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Income Support, you should be able to request a switch to Sky’s social tariff.
But there are other choices. Anyone will be able to leave within 30 days if they’re unhappy with a price rise, regardless if they’re in or out of contract (although an early termination fee will apply to Sky TV customers).
If you’re out of contract, you can leave Sky Broadband at any time. As we’ve mentioned, switching providers and starting afresh as a new customer is the best way to combat price hikes.
What’s the best Sky broadband alternative?
If you’re currently a Sky Broadband customer, with no extra add-ons, you should find it easy to switch broadband providers.
Sky delivers its services through the Openreach network. Other big name providers who also do this include BT, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Plusnet, and many more.
If you switch to another provider also on the Openreach network, the process couldn’t be simpler! You won’t even have to get in touch with Sky Broadband. Just hit the green 'get deal' button to check out to your new provider, and they’ll do the admin for you.
The best way to check alternative deals is to enter your address into Broadband Genie’s deals checker.
Not every home will have access to the same broadband deals. By adding your address into a search, you can make sure you don’t waste your time on providers and packages that you can't access.
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What is Openreach?
Openreach is the company that maintains the former British Telecom Network used for the majority of broadband and phone services. If a repair or installation is required, it’s Openreach who will send an engineer, not your provider.
More than 650 service providers using the Openreach network. That’s the majority of the UK’s broadband providers. This includes Sky, TalkTalk and BT. The exception to this is Virgin Media - it uses its own, separate cable network.
Sky broadband and TV alternatives
All’s not lost. If you’ve been enjoying your Sky TV package, but you can no longer justify the TV prices, there are other alternatives. But we understand that Sky’s TV offerings are tricky to match!
We recommend checking out NOW TV as a cheaper option. This gives you access to selected Sky TV channels, including Sky Sports, but without the lengthy contracts.
The beauty of this, is that you’ll be free to explore some of cheapest internet deals or fastest broadband options and not have to focus on those that offer TV bundles. You could also explore the smaller, alternative network providers (altnets). These are more likely to offer broadband deals with a fixed price promise.
If you’re still keen to have your broadband and TV all under one contract, it’s worth considering BT, TalkTalk and NOW Broadband. All use the same network, so you should have no problems with availability.
For more tips, you can visit our ‘alternatives to Sky TV and Broadband’ page.
To keep a lookout for a great deal and make a switch even more profitable, don’t forget to bookmark our ‘Broadband Rewards and Cashback’ page.
How can I contact Sky about price rises?
To double-check your contract, your current deal and any scheduled price rises, we recommend signing in to your My Sky account. You can use a messaging service within this portal.
If you’d prefer to speak to an advisor, you can call 0333 759 3455.
For more contact details, visit our Sky customer service guide.
Expert Summary
Sky broadband bills rose by an average of 6.7% in April 2024. Currently, if you receive notification of a price hike from Sky, you’ll be free to leave within 30 days. If you’re a broadband only customer, this will be at no extra cost. However, if you’re signed up to a Sky TV bundle deal, you’ll be charged an early termination fee.
If you’re out of contract, don’t forget you’re free to switch at any time. Although Sky’s price hikes aren’t as harsh as many other big names, there are plenty of smaller providers with a fixed price promise, including Cuckoo Broadband, Lit Fibre, brsk, BeFibre, Hyperoptic and italk.
Add your address into our deals checker for a full list of what's available at your home.