WILL SKY’S NEW NOW TV OPTION SAVE ME MONEY?
QWhat do you think of Sky’s Now TV? I’m sick of paying over €80 a month for my TV/broadband/phone package
AFirstly, you don’t have to pay that much. All you have to do is switch to Eir, for example, to cut your bill in half and get a free Chromecast TV box. (This enables streaming onto your TV from your computer, tablet or smartphone). But remember to switch again in 12 months’ time or you’ll be back on €85 a month. That’s how it works. Companies know only 15% of people bother switching, so they charge extra once your contract is up, penalising loyalty.
Now TV is Sky’s bid to challenge the threat Netflix poses to its customer base. There’s no contract, so you can dip in and out of what it has to offer for €15 a month – or more, depending on the package.
You can also do that with Netflix, which is cheaper, costing from €7.99 per month (see table).
Yet Sky is seen as offering a better selection of boxsets from its Sky Atlantic channel, with many very popular shows such as the upcoming Game Of Thrones, although Netflix also offers many films and series of its own.
There’s nothing to stop you signing up for both. You’d have an awesome range of TV entertainment for €22.99 a month in total, which is still cheaper than Sky’s basic TV package, which costs around €25.
There’s no set-up fee for Now TV. You may need to pay for a TV box (currently €25) to enable streaming but you could also use a laptop or computer.
I asked our friends in comparison site switcher.ie for their take on Now TV. Here’s what a spokeswoman said: ‘It depends what the customer is interested in. If they don’t have a normal TV package and just want access to boxsets etc, they could potentially get a lot of value out of the entertainment pass (€15 a month).
‘The cinema pass could work out well for families – the selection of films is second to none and if you compare it to what it would cost for a family of four to go to the cinema, it’ll definitely represent value. It could also work well for certain times in the year - like Christmas – as you can just sign up for a month and don’t need to get tied into a lengthier deal.
‘Likewise, if you don’t want to pay for sports year round but want access to, say, The Masters, you could pay for a €15 pass for one week to see that particular tournament, without signing up to a full TV package including sports. Where can I get the best savings rate for my €11,000 nest-egg. My bank is giving me 0.1%. Is it worth salting it away for a few years to get more interest? I don’t really want to do this as I may need the money.
QAThe best deal on demand is just 0.65% from Leeds Building Society, which is a newcomer to the Irish market with just one branch in Dublin.
You need a minimum sum of €2,500 and can call (01) 661 7938 or check out further details on its website leedsbuildingsociety.co.uk
Online bank RaboDirect are second best on 0.45%. If you lock your money away for 3 years, you can get up to 1.1% with PTSB. But I don’t think that little bit of extra interest is worth it the lack of flexibility for three years, even if you didn’t need the money.