MSE News: Broadband price hikes of up to 15% expected in April – what we know so far

n3phi1im

Vodafone rate increases will depend on when you joined/upgraded.

• before 2nd February 2021: Each April your standard monthly Plan Charge will increase by an amount equal to the retail prices index rate published by the Office for National Statistics in March (RPI Rate). We will apply that RPI rate for adjustment from your April bill. If the RPI rate is a decrease, your monthly plan charge will not be reduced.
• from 2nd February 2021: Each April, your monthly plan charge will increase by an amount equal to the Consumer Price Index rate published by the Office for National Statistics in January (CPI rate) plus an additional 3.9% on top of the CPI rate. We will apply that CPI rate plus 3.9% adjustment from your April bill. In the event that the CPI rate is negative, this will be
  ignored but the additional 3.9% will still apply.

sue529

TalkTalk are offering me contract renewal in March @£27pm or @£29pm (fixed over '2 years'), which is a 35% and 45% increase. I am currently paying £20pm for broadband only (+ landline that I don't use), a figure arrived at after haggling / leaving for Shell (then cancelling), only last year! 

So NOT 14% as Martin says. 

Half an hour on the phone to them and the best they could do was £24.50 (fixed for 16 mths only, ie 18 mths with 2 mths free), which is a 25% increase. Or else, £23.50 on a variable rate (17.50% increase). 

The only way I could get a 14% deal would be if I leave again – and then cancel when TalkTalk offer me a lower price (eg around £23pm) but it would probably only be fixed for a year. If I went with Shell, Talk Talk threaten me with having to return their equipment or face a £50 fine.

MSE_Helen_K

Millions of Sky broadband and TV customers will see their bills increase from 1 April by an average of £67.20 a year (8.1% or £5.60 a month), the telecom provider has announced. But some affected users may be able to cancel penalty-free as a result – here's how to beat the hikes.

Read the full story:

Sky to hike broadband and TV prices by £67 a year – but you may be able to leave penalty-free

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply.

KxMx

I've got 8 months left on my contract, Plusnet email just in, £25.99 monthly to £29.73.
Annoyingly £3.34 of that increase is for line rental, I don't even have a landline plugged in!

diystarter7

Hi

Always, dont take it lying down
If your first call goes to a jobsworth that wont budge, put the phone down and redial, works every time, 

Thanks

southsidergs

KxMx said:

I've got 8 months left on my contract, Plusnet email just in, £25.99 monthly to £29.73.
Annoyingly £3.34 of that increase is for line rental, I don't even have a landline plugged in!

Well that's just a common misconception, it's not landline rental for voice it also covers rental of the line used to deliver the broadband so you DO need it

diystarter7 said:

Hi

Always, dont take it lying down
If your first call goes to a jobsworth that wont budge, put the phone down and redial, works every time, 

Thanks

Such a pleasant response, they may not be a "jobsworth" having experience of working in the industry they may not be able to budge but of course you're always right....

rnem170

Has anyone yet announced cut-off dates for the rises? ie, if you take out a contract on xx of Feb or xx March, the rise will not apply until 2024.

Neil_Jones

rnem170 said:

Has anyone yet announced cut-off dates for the rises? ie, if you take out a contract on xx of Feb or xx March, the rise will not apply until 2024.

Doesn't work like that.

If the price rise is due to take effect on (for example) April 1, then if you join before April 1, 14% increase as per T&Cs.

So join on April 2 and you'll only be affected by the next one (assuming Ofcom don't put paid to it in the meantime)

sue529

The increases start now, unless you're in the middle of a contract? And will go up again next year. I didn't have time to go through the process I did last year, eg "I've left you for a cheaper deal" to get TalkTalk to leap back and offer something akin to a reasonable rate. I ended up agreeing to £25 p/m. So a 25% increase, rather than a 49% increase. Then they wanted me to score the call-centre worker's performance. !!!!!! that.

CrispyUK

rnem170 said:

Has anyone yet announced cut-off dates for the rises? ie, if you take out a contract on xx of Feb or xx March, the rise will not apply until 2024.

Shell Energy have applied a cut-off, when signing up now as a new customer you are advised that your "monthly charges may increase each year from 2024 on or after 1 April by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation plus up to 3%".

Onestream have a Q1 cut-off period written into their current T&Cs with point 19.1 stating if "you enter into your agreement with [them] between 1 January and 31 March, you will not be subject to this increase on 1 April in the first year of your contract, but you will in all subsequent years of your contract".

Zen promise no price rises during contract. Sky terms allow you to leave without penalty if they increase prices.

I can't see that TalkTalk, BT, EE, Plusnet or Vodafone are doing anything similar at the moment.

I'm out of contract and looking to switch to Full Fibre, earliest install dates in my area are late March. Wonder if I booked an early April install with one of those five, would I then skip the April 2023 price increase, or would they apply it to my first bill and I'd never pay the price I originally signed up for?