How to avoid the Virgin Media price hike as it adds up to £54 a year to bills
MILLIONS of Virgin Media customers will be hit with up to £54 a year price hike - but is there a way to get out of paying more?
The phone and internet provider is hiking the price of bills by between £2.50 and £4.50 a month starting in either September or October.
In the worst case scenario that works out at an extra £54 a year - a whopping 11 per cent increase.
The hike isn't new. In fact we reported it at the start of July, but customers are now seeing a change in their bills so it's a good time to start thinking about whether you can save costs.
The phone and broadband provider has started notifying customers about the price rise after first announcing the increase earlier this month.
And if you’re not happy by the changes, you’ll be pleased to know there might be a way to avoid paying extra.
Virgin Media has informed customers that they can either cancel or change their package before September 10 without paying any cancellation fees.
Customers can call 150 from their Virgin Media phone or mobile to discuss changes to their package.
From any other mobile, the number to ring is 0345 454 1111.
Haggling doesn’t cost a penny so it’s also well worth trying to negotiate a better deal.
While it doesn’t guarantee you’ll end up with a better price, try setting the bar with Virgin Media about how much you are willing to spend.
Use comparison websites to check around for better deals and if you find something better, be sure to tell Virgin Media about it.
or are reputable for checking the best prices in your area.
Dani Warner, mobiles and broadband expert at uSwitch.com, said: "These increases for Virgin Media's broadband, TV and home phone services will add an average of £39.60 to customers' annual bills, although some could see their bills increase up to 11 per cent in some cases.
"The changes are expected to hit about five million people and are likely to take effect in September or October.
"This is the second price rise Virgin Media customers have faced in the last 12 months, and the provider risks its customers seeking better value elsewhere rather than continuing to foot the bill for the network's costly ongoing infrastructure projects."
Customers not affected by the price changes include those who signed up to the provider's Oomph bundles from April 29.
Talk Protected plans for over 65s and Virgin Mobile customers will also not see bills go up.
A Virgin Media spokeswoman told The Sun: “Changing prices is not a decision we take lightly.
“We invest more than £1billion a year in our network and services to keep giving our customers great value.”
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If you want to stick around with Virgin Media you'll be pleased to hear has vowed to bring ultra-fast "next-gen" broadband to its entire network by the end of 2021.
Virgin Money is also launching 15-year fixed rate mortgage.
BT is also putting up its prices and we revealed how you can change or cancel your service.
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