MSE News: Beat the BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media price hikes

Former_MSE_Jamie

"Millions of home phone customers will be hit by price rises this month, but you can fight back ..."

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Beat the BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media price hikes

coollittlew

I switched from Sky in December due to the 18% price hike of line rental just weeks after they had put the price up of the TV element of the bill. I am now with a local cable company (Smallworld) and pay £24 a month all in for TV (with all the sky channels I watch), line and fiber optic broadband 3x the speed I was getting with Sky.

Granted, the Smallworld tip is only really useful for people in their small operating areas but it shows its worthwhile shopping around. I am now saving £20 a month!

I have a few friends who are on Sky and all are considering leaving. I hope they do!

slinkydonkey

We currently use Virgin Media and get about 60meg download and pay £30 a month for it we don't have a land line just use mobiles every other provider you HAVE to have a land line as it will use BTs phone lines.

billsavings

OK using Primus if your happy to put up with poor customer service, expensive call features,chargeable 0845/0870 calls etc.

I understand BT will give free evening and weekend calls if pushed.

Plus if you move to the line rental/broadband deal i have read reports you cant use the likes of 18185 indirect access due to llu.

rogerblack

If you are on certain benefits, and with BT, moving to BT basic may be appropriate.
This is around 4 pounds a month, you can have DSL with it (which does not have to go through BT), and it comes with a (very small) call allowance.

You can usually get BT Basic if you're claiming one of these benefits:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Employment Support Allowance (Income related) or
Pensions Credit (Guaranteed Credit)

http://www.bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-bt-basic.html?s_cid=con_FURL_calls_basic

billsavings

rogerblack wrote: »

If you are on certain benefits, and with BT, moving to BT basic may be appropriate.
This is around 4 pounds a month, you can have DSL with it (which does not have to go through BT)

Increases on 5/1/2013 to £4.95p a month, and you cant use indirect access eg 18185 with it.

jhp

If you want a cheap phone service, no contract,dont need broadband, you could alway use Virgin Mobile new payg Big Talk tariff if you have suitable mobile,and you pick up a resaonable EE signal.

£10 a month ( which you get to keep to spend )

Unlimited 01/02/03 landline calls

120 xnet mobile minutes.

Inclusive Caller Display.

Voicemail if required but 26p a call ,can be turned off.

http://www.virginmobile.com/vm/genericContent.do?contentId=payasyougo.whychooseus.sm072

If you need a geographical number to give out get a completely free one from www.sipgate.co.uk divert it to voicemail.Access it at no charge from your inclusive Virgin Minutes.

JenniWR

What's even worse, of course, is that there's no need to any of these price hikes! OfCom recently rules that Wholesale prices had to come down, and indeed, BTW/Openreach have lowered the price of Wholesale Line Rental - CP's pay <£100 annually! :mad:

ruggedtoast

You can pay for your phone a year in advance with Sky and line rental only costs £10 a month. Thats not bad when you factor in the broadband offers and the cashback you get from them from Topcashback.

JenniWR

Most CPs allow this option - BT, Sky, Plusnet and Virgin to my knowledge definitely do.

SavingSteve

I tried to switch from Sky to Primus, Primus contacted me to say Sky will not release my number, is this allowed?!