Sky customers face second bill hike in three months

SKY customers are about to be hit with a second price hike in three months.

From December, the price of Sky line rental is increasing from £12.25 to £14.50 a month.

The leap is so large that it triggers a clause in customers’ contracts that allows them to cancel their line rental and broadband even if they are still within the minimum term of their contract.

Rules from telecom regulator Ofcom state that if a provider makes a change to a customer’s contract of ‘material detriment’ then they should be free to switch without penalty.

Sky is also increasing the cost of its daytime calls from 7.95p to 8.41p per minute and its call connection fee will also go up from £13.1p to 13.87p.

The hike comes after the company pushed up line rental, daytime calls and its call connection charge for all of its new customers in September.

a spokesman from Sky said: ‘Our broadband and home phone subscription prices have been frozen for more than two years, but we are having to increase our line rental in order to continue investing in our services.

In the new year, rival BT is also pushing up its line rental, with the cost going from £14.60 to £15.45.

From January 5, the cost of BT’s daytime calls are increasing from 7.94p to 8.41p per minute and its evening calls are rising from 1.05p to 1.11p per minute. Its call connection fee will also go up from £13.1p to 13.87p.