Millions of Sky broadband and TV customers will be hit with price hikes of up to £72 a year from this month onwards.

Many of the hikes came into effect on April 1, but customers may be able to leave the provider penalty-free or haggle down their bill, so it's worth checking if you can save by switching.

However, if you’re still on a good deal, think about staying where you are as most firms are raising prices anyway.

If you’re out of contract you’re free to leave at any time.

If in contract, many can leave penalty-free though you must do so within 30 days of being notified by Sky – for some that window is closed, for others it’s open but only just.

Here's what MoneySavingExpert.com says.

If you're on a standard rate deal (ie, not a special promo) most prices are rising.

  • TV - prices will rise for all on April 1, but the exact rise varies by package (see below).
  • Broadband - everyone except those on the Ultrafast Broadband package faces a rise on April 1, though the amount varies by package (see below).
  • Landline - those on the Anytime Extra and International Extra packages are rising on May 1 (exact rises below), but not other standard packages.
  • Mobile - no prices are rising.

If you're on a special promo it's unclear if your prices will rise.

There's no uniform answer to whether your prices are rising.

You will be notified of exactly what's changing when you get a letter or email with the full info - this should have already arrived.

If my bills are rising, how much will they go up by?

Overall millions will pay more, with the average increase just over £3/month (£36/year).

Below is a list of the increases by package type, but more importantly, the rises are capped at £6/month (£72/year), so even if you have lots of products which are going up, your overall bill won't rise by more than that - Sky says 8 per cent of customers will be hit by the maximum £72/year price increase.

TV price rises on standard contracts (but note the different prices for those in and out of contract)

  • The Sky Signature TV package will go up by £1/mth - to £26/mth if in contract, £31/mth if out of contract.
  • Multiscreen will go up by £1/mth, to £15/mth.
  • Sky HD will go up by £1/mth, to £7/mth.
  • Sky Ultimate (TV add-on which gives Netflix) will go up by £1/mth, to £5/mth - but ONLY for those in-contract.
  • Sky Sports will go up by £2/mth, to £32/mth - but ONLY for those out-of-contract.
  • BT Sport will go up by £2/mth, to £27/mth. (This only affects Sky customers who pay for BT Sport via Sky, though if you pay via BT, it has recently announced separate price rises).

However, Sky Cinema and Sky Kids aren't changing in price.

Broadband price rises on standard contracts (but note the different prices for those in and out of contract)

  • Sky Broadband Essential will go up by £3/mth - to £25/mth if in contract, £30/mth if out of contract.
  • Sky Broadband Superfast will go up by £1/mth - to £28/mth if in contract, £33/mth if out of contract.

Note, the Ultrafast Broadband package isn't rising in price.

Landline price rises on standard contracts

  • Sky Talk Anytime Extra will go up by £2/mth, to £12/mth.
  • Sky Talk International Extra will go up by £2/mth, to £14/mth
  • Call costs: Sky says it's possible some customers could see prices increase as well, though it wasn't able to give us a breakdown of this as it says it's dependent on individual circumstances.

Note, the cost of Sky Talk Evening and Weekends Extra is not rising.

When will I be notified of the possible rise?

Sky says you should have received a letter or email between February 17 and March 27.

If your price isn't going up you won't hear anything.

Sky adds that affected customers should wait until they're contacted before they get in touch to discuss their options because you technically can't cancel penalty-free until you're notified of the hikes.

But there's no harm in calling early to try to haggle your bills down.

Most Sky broadband, TV and home phone customers last saw prices hiked in April 2020, although tens of thousands of users whose prices didn't rise then saw the increase applied from August 2020 instead.

Hit by the hikes? You MAY be able to leave penalty-free

If you're not happy with the price hike, you may be able to exit your contract with Sky penalty-free.

But remember, there's no point leaving in a huff if your current deal is still the cheapest out there – so check rival providers' prices, and remember other firms also increase prices from time to time.

Here are your rights if you want to leave Sky:

  • Outside your minimum contract term for TV, phone and/or broadband? You can leave penalty-free at any time. To do this, contact Sky by phone (on 03337 593 922), online or by post. You'll usually need to give 31 days' notice for TV packages, though Sky says the notice period for some TV add-ons may vary, and 14 days' notice for broadband and phone packages.
  • If you're out of contract there's a good chance you're paying over the odds, so check if you can find a better deal using Broadband Unbundled – you don't need to wait for notification of the price hikes to do this.
  • Still in your minimum term for a Sky broadband or phone contract? You can also leave penalty-free. If you're affected by these price increases, you CAN cancel without paying an early termination charge. Technically, you can only do so once you've received official notification of the price increase, although there's no harm in calling sooner to see if you can haggle your bills down. Again, you can contact Sky by phone (on 03337 593 922), online or by post. You must cancel within 30 days of being notified of the increase.
  • Still in your minimum term for a Sky TV contract? Unfortunately you CAN'T leave penalty-free. Sadly you don't have the right to exit your contract penalty-free as a result of these price changes. Sky says this is because the terms and conditions for TV packages are different to those for broadband and phone packages - ie, you may have been warned that prices could rise.

However if you're unhappy about the change it may still be worth trying to haggle with Sky.

And some TV add-ons may have a rolling monthly contract, in which case you can remove them from your Sky package to avoid the hikes and cut costs.

If you've a bundle that includes TV and broadband, Sky says you can generally cancel the broadband penalty-free but not the TV. This may vary depending on when you signed up to the products though, so if unsure check with Sky before cancelling.

Willing to stick with Sky? Haggle, haggle, haggle

If you're happy to stay with Sky despite the price increases, it's worth trying to haggle a better deal - especialy if you've the right to leave penalty-free, in which case your bargaining position is strong.

Price rises are always powerful haggling ammunition.

MoneySavingExpert.com's most recent poll in November 2020 found 86 per cent of Sky customers who tried to haggle got a discount, and some save hundreds each year.

  • Benchmark the best deal elsewhere so you ask for a realistic discount.
  • Get through to the retentions (sometimes called disconnections) department. They have the most power to slash costs, as their job is to keep you.
  • Use charm and be friendly. Aggression or anger will just put their back up.
  • Don't panic if they call your bluff and say they'll disconnect you.
  • If they won't slash the price, see if they can include any extras, such as a boosted TV package.

If you do haggle a better deal, always check the length of the new contract you sign up to and make sure you're happy being locked in for that long.

What does Sky say?

A Sky spokesperson said: “We know price increases are never welcome and we try to keep prices down whilst still delivering the content our customers love, the flexibility to choose the package that suits them and with leading customer service.”