SKY’S THE LIMIT FOR BEST TV PACKAGE... RIGHT NOW

QI have been paying Virgin Media €89 a month for TV, broadband and phone (triple play). I want to switch to a cheaper deal and tried to cancel. The guy from Virgin immediately offered me a half-price package for four months. Do they always do this? I’m also tempted by Eir’s €30-a-month offer (for six months) but I like Sky’s platform and it’s offering a €49-a-month ‘triple play’ deal for 12 months. So which is best?

AWelcome to the world of switching. As the old saying goes: the ‘squeaky wheel gets the grease’ – and so all the best deals go to people who speak up and either leave or threaten to leave – i.e. switchers or wannabe switchers.

If you don’t do either you will lose out, big time.

So yes, people should ask for better deals as soon as their contracts are up. And if you don’t get a good offer, you should switch. Virgin’s counter-offer of a half-price deal for four months if you sign up for another year isn’t bad compared to what you were paying before.

But it doesn’t stack up compared to either Sky or Eir’s current special offers.

With Virgin, you’d end up paying €74 a month, on average, over 12 months.

Eir seems best at first glance because of the eye-catching €30-a-month figure. But that’s only for six months. For the remaining 12 months of your 18month contract, you’ll have to pay €85 a month. That works out at an average of €67 a month.

With Sky, you pay the same for the full 12 months of your contract – so it’s only €49 a month and is the cheapest of the lot.

After a year, you’re free to move or renegotiate a better deal, which, as you’ve discovered, is when all the good stuff happens!

You also know that you like the Sky platform while you don’t know the Eir offering, which is relatively new.

QHow does the Bike To Work scheme operate? I need to save money – and lose weight!

AUnder the scheme, your employer can pay for a bicycle. You then pay back the money over a period of less than 12 months – so your boss isn’t out of pocket – but you can claim tax relief at the top rate on the money.

So visit the shop, select the bike and cycling gear you wish to buy. Then get the shop to invoice your employer, who must pay for the bicycle and equipment.

The payment is then recouped from your gross pay.

Your employer could also buy the bicycle on your behalf and not require you to pay anything, if he or she thinks you deserve a nice perk!

QI was gifted some American shares from a relative and which has a legend stamped on them (restricted stock). However, I have been advised that before I can sell these shares the legend much be lifted from them.

AGoodbody Stockbrokers said they have experience of removing these restrictions. You must be resident in Ireland and open a Goodbody account to avail of it.

QWe’ve applied for a Home Adaptation scheme grant to install a downstairs bathroom. However, it seems that there is a shortfall in the funding we have just been offered by our local council. We expected to receive 95% of costs, but we have only been offered a sum equivalent to 76%?

AThe cost covered by this grant doesn’t include VAT, which would explain the shortfall. But you can also reclaim the VAT paid through the Home Renovation Incentive scheme, so you would end up with 95% of your costs covered. To qualify for the 95% grant, your household income must also be less than €30,000. Above that income figure, the proportion of the costs that can be grantaided will be tapered from 95% down to 30%, depending on your income.