April is often the time of year where thousands of businesses and services raise their prices to reflect higher inflation rates but the ongoing cost of living pressures has led to a wave of increasing bills.
Household broadband prices are just one of the many things set to increase for consumers, with BT, Sky, Virgin Media, Plusnet and more raising their rates. It means from now on bill payers will be charged up to 14.4% more for the exact same service or tariff.
It works out at a couple of pounds extra a month but when added with the current hike of council tax bills, water rates, landline and mobile phone contracts consumers are feeling the pressure.
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Energy bills have levelled out since the price guarantee but many households will still continue to feel the pinch as the Government's winter payment schemes come to an end. The list of added expenses is endless as businesses try to balance against the now 10.4% inflation rate, leaving consumers to pay the price.
There is support available which could mean struggling bill payers continue to stay connected at home despite the inflated rates, and it doesn't necessarily mean you'd have to change your current package.
During the recent mobile phone price hikes providers including Vodafone, Sky, Tesco Mobile and EE introduced mid-contract price hikes but support has been put in place for those who can no longer afford their plan. Customers could move over to social tarriffs like EE's £12 Basics plan.
As broadband prices rise similar support has been put in place to ensure households can stay connected. We've rounded up the support, guidance and alternatives on offer by the main UK providers who've confirmed April price hikes.
Virgin Media
Customers with broadband, TV or landline packages will see a price rise of 13.8% from this month onwards, slightly less than its mobile hikes of 17.3%. This takes the price up by £2.76 for every £20 of a current tariff charge.
Customers received notice of the price changes between January and February this year, so as the 30 day window has passed customers would have to pay to leave. But there some alternatives customers could look at.
Alongside it's social 'Essential' broadband package (at £12.50 a month) for customers in receipt of benefits, Virgin Media also has a vulnerable customer policy. Customers with additional needs, or those facing financial vulnerability may be able to get access to different packages or prices - for example support for unpaid carers.
This could be a way customer could get access to reduce payment tariffs even though they're not in receipt of a type of benefit, although customers would have to contact Virgin directly to see if it applies to them and or their current plan.
Customers can speak to Virgin Media's customer services by calling 0345 454 1111 for free or get in touch with an agent on its live chat, here.
Sky
Sky Broadband and TV customers face an average increase of 8.1%, one of the cheapest price hikes compared to other providers' rises of more than 14%. This amounts to £5 extra per month or £67 for the full year.
The only customers that will not be subject to bill increases are those on the Sky Broadband Basics social tariff and customers who signed up for any Sky Stream and Sky Glass packages on or after October 18.
But where does that leave those who are facing higher bills? Sky customers can leave if they're outside of their minimum contract term, which can be done via its 'how to cancel' page.
Broadband customers can also leave even if they are still within their minimum contract period, but notice has to be given within 30 days of receiving news of the price hikes.
If you're affected by the rising cost, there's a lot of support in place for customers who are struggling to pay their monthly bills. Customers can find support when logging into their account, once logged in visit 'help' (in the top right corner) and select Sky TV or Broadband. Next select 'account and billing', 'bills and payments' and then 'difficulty paying my bill'.
Here it gives customers the option to select what they need help with under these categories; 'debt management', 'managing my call charges', 'difficulty paying my Sky Talk bill', 'difficulty paying streaming TV bill' and 'difficulty paying Sky Mobile bill'.
Customers who aren't sure how long is left on their contract, or are expecting the contract to finish soon, can check the specific end date and details, here.
BT
One of the first providers to implement price increases on March 31, BT broadband customers now pay 14.4% more for their packages compared to the months before. This works out at an average rise of £3.50 per month, or £42 a year.
Price rises have seen the BT Fibre 2 package go from around £29 to around £34 and its popular BT Sport Monthly Pass has risen from an original £25 to £29.99 a month.
To help the increased number of customers who are now struggling to pay their bills with the added costs, BT does have a social broadband tariff, BT Home Essentials.
The 12-month contract is for customers in receipt of either Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit, Jobseeker's Allowance, or Income Support and costs £15 a month. Customers who qualify will get access to the social broadband tariff for a whole year, even if they no longer require benefits during that time.
BT also offers a mobile social tariff through the EE Basics Tariff, users on a low income can access unlimited calls, texts and 5GB of data a month for £12.
EE
The broadband price rises for customers at EE are pretty similar to those outlined by BT, as the provider is owned by BT Group. Customers with EE's Fibre Broadband plan, EE Full Fibre plan, or it's home wifi package will also pay 14.4% more each month from this April 2023.
This also means that the support available for customers struggling to pay their bills is the same for customers with BT Broadband, and they'll have the option to sign up to BT Essential Broadband if they receive benefits, and customers can switch over by calling 0800 079 5122.
Although this doesn't help those who don't recieve a type of benefit but are struggling to meet the added costs. Customers who fall into this bracket are urged to get in touch with EE to talk about individual payment plans.
It's not always common knowledge but EE are one of a few providers who let customers change direct debit dates to suit finances, agree individual payment plans, and give customers more time to pay if they're struggling (which will reduce the monthly cost. Details can be found, here.
O2
Customers subject to price rises if signed up after March 25 2021, will pay an increase of 17.3% if their plan was taken out or upgraded after March 25 2021. However the providers prices rises are only outlined for it's mobile services so as it stands broadband prices have not yet gone up.
This may be down to the fact it only really offers broadband for businesses and not households. The provider's business fibre broadband starts from £24 a month for an individual worker or £27 a month for a whole office.
Plusnet
Current Plusnet broadband users will face a rise of 14.4% no matter when they took out a contract. Unlike some of the other provider hikes outlined above Plusnet customers who took out a tariff either before October 6 2020 and after will face the same increase from this month onwards.
Its Unlimited Fibre Broadband package will now rise to £21.23 per month from its previous £18.56 - an added cost of £2.67 a month.
Affected customers will see a price rise of around £1 a week, so one of the highest increases of around £52 per year. The changes have already been outlined to customers and implemented since March, 31.
The added prices also means an increase in the termination fee for customers who leave inside their minimum contract period, this will go up by 3.9%.
If customers don't pay their monthly bill within 14 days then customers will only be able to access the internet to access Plusnet's page, and a charge of £5.76 will be added to the unpaid balance.
If you're struggling to pay or worried about the increased charges, you can get help through its help page, here.
TalkTalk
The price for broadband users will go up by 14.4% in line with majority of the providers outlined above, this is for customers who don't have Fixed Price Plus and are still within the minimum contract period.
This means customers won't be able to switch to another provider with a smaller price hike unless their contract has already come to an end.
TalkTalk is also one of few providers who is yet to put a social tariff plan in place, for those struggling to pay their bills due to low income. However, the network does currently flexible payment options, including a pre-pay saver plan. This gives customers a 10% discount (including on increased April prices) if they pay 12 months upfront.
You can find Talk Talk's contact details, here.
Vodafone
Both customers who use the provider's home broadband for laptops and computers at home, as well as those who rely on its mobile broadband packages to connect laptops to 3G, 4G or 5G networks when working out and about, are affected by the broadband rises.
Vodafone has increased the prices of both its home and mobile broadband by 14.4% for all customers who opened a plan after December 9 2020. Customers who entered a plan before this date are still affected by price rises but by a smaller 13.8%.
Home broadband plans opened between February 2 2021 and February 23 2023 also face heightened charges of 14.4% from this month onwards. This amounts to an extra £1.44 per £10 of the plan price.
As a result, its Fibre 1 home broadband packages (which start at around £24 a month) will cost an extra £2.88 to £26.88. Taking the yearly extra cost to £34.56.
The only product not impacted by the rising costs is Vodafone's Essentials Broadband package, again for users in receipt of benefits, at £12 a month for 38mps download speed.
Customers who don't qualify for its social broadband but still need support covering the extra costs can set up agreed payment plans with Vodafone, and the provider urges those who are struggling to get in touch to talk about individual re-payment plans.
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