2026 Price Hikes

[DaveDrizen]

1. Sky have put the increase on everyone April bill and we all therefore know what these increases are going to be. But in reality Sky have yet to publicly announce the price increase as the emails and letters won't be going out for a couple weeks yet. 

[TimmyBGood]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

To be clear sky are currently in hot water with OFCOM, OFCOM state that any supplier must provide details of price rises when the contract is taken. Ie you will be charged an extra £5 each year. Sky are arguing that they don't need to to this, it's a question of law and currently sitting on appeal at the high court 

---

That's incorrect: the dispute (and hugely protracted appeals process) with Ofcom is over notification at the end of a discounted minimum term, because while they accept this is required for broadband Sky claims that it doesn't apply to subscription television.

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/switching-provider/cw_01254 

All ISPs have an option not to put a pounds and pence figure in advance on broadband increases as long as they allow penalty free exit.

" Different types of contracts are available

Ofcom has put in place protections to make sure that consumers can shop around with confidence and take advantage of the range of different types of packages available.

Several providers offer contracts that do not contain price rises. Some others offer contracts that permit for unspecified price rises during the contract period. If they do this, they must give customers 30 days’ notice and the right to exit penalty-free, so consumers can avoid these price rises if they want. "

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/phones-and-broadband/bills-and-charges/protecting-consumers-from-uncertain-...

[Anonymous]

Sky is able to raise prices mid‑contract in ways that Virgin Media, EE and others cannot because of a specific loophole in Ofcom’s new rules. The regulator is aware of it, and the issue is now under active scrutiny.

---

⭐ The core reason Sky can still do it
Sky’s TV contracts are not covered by the same rules that apply to broadband and mobile.

From 17 January 2025, Ofcom banned inflation‑linked mid‑contract rises for telecoms services. Providers must now either:

- give a fixed £‑and‑pence rise stated clearly at sign‑up, or
- not raise prices at all during the minimum term.

But Sky TV sits in a regulatory gap:

- Sky argues that its TV service is not a “telecoms service” under the new rules.
- Because of that, Sky TV contracts don’t have to follow the same transparency requirements as broadband and mobile.
- This means Sky can raise TV prices mid‑contract without stating the amount upfront and without giving customers the right to leave penalty‑free.

Virgin Media, EE, BT and others must follow the new rules for broadband and mobile because those services are explicitly covered.

---

⭐ What Ofcom is doing about it
According to Ofcom and independent consumer investigations:

- Ofcom did not intend to leave this loophole open.
- The regulator has acknowledged that Sky’s interpretation exploits a gap in the rules.
- Ofcom has stated it is “monitoring compliance” and reviewing how providers apply the new pricing rules across bundled services.

The expectation is that Ofcom will need to extend or clarify the rules so that pay‑TV services cannot sidestep the transparency requirements.

---

⭐ What this means for customers right now
- If you have Sky Broadband or Sky Mobile, the new Ofcom rules do apply.
- If you have Sky TV, Sky can still raise prices mid‑contract without giving you the right to leave, because of the regulatory gap.
- If your Sky TV is part of a bundle, Sky can still apply the increase to the TV portion without triggering penalty‑free exit rights.

---

⭐ If you want, I can also break down:
- How to challenge a Sky price rise
- Whether you can leave a Sky bundle early
- What Ofcom is likely to change next
- Template wording for a complaint or escalation

Just tell me what angle you want to explore.

[TimmyBGood]

@Anonymous 

You appear to be pasting AI output, which as often happens tends to conflate separate issues and create an erroneous result.

The prolonged multiple appeals over end of contract notification for subscription television have been publicly documented by authoritative sources.

[Yoghurt]

@Anonymous  Hopefully sky will stop increasing prices for tv as well as broadband during a contract I feel the price should only go up when contract is due to end been saying this for years 

[PandJ2020]

---

@Yoghurt wrote:

@Anonymous  Hopefully sky will stop increasing prices for tv as well as broadband during a contract I feel the price should only go up when contract is due to end been saying this for years 

---

The trouble is unintended consequences.  This happened with many providers locking in defined increases (e.g. £4) which has resulted in above inflation rises (probably larger than the previous formula).

Banning in-contract rises may result in higher general prices.

In some ways Sky's method of allowing cancellation may be better (ignoring limited window to leave and lack of inertia by many customers)

[Yoghurt]

@PandJ2020  But even with general prices you'd still have discounts so would still be better if one price until end of contract then we wouldn't be paying out even more during a contract no wonder folk are leaving sky 

[MarkGoldsmith]

---

@PandJ2020 wrote:

---

@Yoghurt wrote:

@Anonymous  Hopefully sky will stop increasing prices for tv as well as broadband during a contract I feel the price should only go up when contract is due to end been saying this for years 

---

The trouble is unintended consequences.  This happened with many providers locking in defined increases (e.g. £4) which has resulted in above inflation rises (probably larger than the previous formula).

Banning in-contract rises may result in higher general prices.

In some ways Sky's method of allowing cancellation may be better (ignoring limited window to leave and lack of inertia by many customers)

---

I remember pointing out at the the time Ofcom brought the rule in for exact price rises to be set up front in broadband contracts, that it would likely not end up in the consumers interest because it will almost certainly lead to higher than previous price rises. 

I also actually prefer the route Sky went down, with not adhering to this and instead allowing penalty-free cancellation

[PandJ2020]

---

@Yoghurt wrote:

@Anonymous  Hopefully sky will stop increasing prices for tv as well as broadband during a contract I feel the price should only go up when contract is due to end been saying this for years 

---

Sure, you may feel better off because of an agreed price but you may end up paying more overall.  No easy answers...

[MarkGoldsmith]

---

@Yoghurt wrote:

@PandJ2020  But even with general prices you'd still have discounts so would still be better if one price until end of contract then we wouldn't be paying out even more during a contract no wonder folk are leaving sky 

---

@Yoghurt , unfortunately, price rises will be inevitable for any provider for a contract that is over a year long, as thats the basics of running a business.

Sky's ( or any other similar service provider) will ultimately have their costs increased over the course of a year, which is the reason a provider puts price increases in once a year for contracts which last longer than a 12 months. Most companies simply wouldn't be able to survive at the same level of operation/service, let alone improve it, if they didn't have annual price rises.

[Yoghurt]

@MarkGoldsmith  Wish they'd do penaltie free for tv not just broadband 

[Yoghurt]

@MarkGoldsmith Well sky maybe should look at 12 month contracts and scrap price rises and be easier then knowing when to renew as well 

[splatto]

I think it would be good if they could at least offer loyal customers the same deal as new ones after a period of maybe 10 or 15 years unbroken. My current broadband package is on offer £11 cheaper to new customers. The argument that everyone benefits as a new customer when they first join is all well and good, but in 1991 all I got was a fiver off the Movie Channels by paying for a year upfront (something that was abolished by the following year). VIP is the worst loyality programme in the history of the Universe.

[Mark39]

---

@splatto wrote:

I think it would be good if they could at least offer loyal customers the same deal as new ones after a period of maybe 10 or 15 years unbroken. 

---

If you were Sky, how would you cover the additional cost?

[Anonymous]

Well this is going to tarnish my reputation further but....... Why do people get so hung up on Sky increases 🤔 It is a fact of life prices go up year on year if they didn't with inflation a pint of milk would still be sixpence and a Mars Bar would still be the size of a brick.

Nobody likes increases but it happens in every walk of life, TV is not mandatory like car insurance so if your not happy shop around or get out of contract at the earliest opportunity.

Sky will be hit with increases like any other business, national insurance rises minimum wage energy production costs, overheads etc etc.

Having run my own business for many years I can appreciate the fine lines you often have to tread. Just because Sky is a big organisation it doesn't mean they are cash rich, they're actually in debt. 

Yes new customers get deals so if you are a long standing customer walk away there are other options and come back at a later date and take the deal.

I'm no Sky fan particularly and I chop and change if necessary. If you're not happy shop around.