Sky and Virgin Media increasing broadband prices in April

Sky and Virgin Media will raise their broadband prices in April. Customers in the UK will feel the impact as household costs continue to rise. Sky plans to increase its prices by an average of 6.2%, while Virgin Media will see a 7.5% hike. If you recently signed a contract, you may see a fixed annual price increase instead of a percentage. This could mean an increase of £2.50 to £3.50 on your monthly bill come May. So now might be a good time to check if switching providers could save you money. Looking at Virgin Media, its broadband plans start at £23.99 per month for the M125 Fibre Broadband plan. This plan offers speeds of about 132Mbps. For those needing more speed, the 264Mbps plan costs £28.99, while the faster M350 plan is £29.99. The fastest option, the Gig1 Fibre Broadband, costs £36.99 and provides speeds of 1,130Mbps. Sky’s plans are quite similar in price. Their basic plan, Full Fibre 150, is £27 per month and offers speeds of 150Mbps. The Full Fibre 300 plan costs £29, making it slightly cheaper than Virgin's M350 plan. However, Sky's premium plan, Gigafast at 900Mbps, is £6.01 pricier than Virgin's top offering. In summary, prices are similar across the two providers for most plans. Sky's entry-level plans are slightly cheaper, but they might also have lower speeds. A key difference is the length of contracts; Virgin's are 18 months, while Sky's last 24 months, which gives more flexibility for customers. If you're looking to get more value, consider bundling broadband with television services. Sky is currently offering its Full Fibre 150 package with TV and Netflix for £35 a month. This includes over 100 channels. Virgin's comparable Bigger Combo bundle is £34.99 and offers faster speeds and more channels, although it lacks some of Sky’s exclusive content. Virgin has also introduced a new Mega Volt bundle, priced at £88.99 per month. This plan includes a 64GB iPad, Gig1 Fibre Broadband, and many TV channels, including Netflix.