How to save money on the cost of your Sky TV

The cost of having Sky TV can be increasingly expensive.  Yes, there is the option of Freeview, however, we view Sky TV as a luxury we have for our family. This is a luxury we can currently afford, but I still want to get the best deal available. I recently did an audit of my household bills and looked towards what money I could save.  The cost that we were being billed for our Sky TV seemed to increase each month. We have a combined Sky TV, Telephone line and Internet package.  I logged into my online Sky account and checked that I had not incurred additional call or internet charges.  There were a few calls that had been made outside my free evening and weekend call package but nothing to justify the bills that were now almost £80.00 a month. On average I was paying £72.00 a month, which means £864.00 a year.  Now I know what your thinking, I bet she had all the packages, Movies, Sport, Kids. Nope, I had the most basic package with Sky TV.

Reducing your bill

I knew that we were paying far too much for an I then decided to look at how to reduce my bill. After researching online, there were a few techniques that I want to try.  So armed with my laptop, calculator, pen and paper I got started.

Alternative Services

First look at the Sky package that you have, do you watch all the channels, is there an alternative provider that is offering a better price?  Get online and see what offers are available. Make a note of the offers that you find as they can be used as part of negotiations to haggle down the price. Also compare the packages that include internet and phone packages, as well as separate offers.  Make sure you check for any installation and equipment charges too.

Haggling

Did you know that Sky has a price promise? If you have managed to find a similar offer with another company why not ask if Sky TV will match the same price? Before you start phoning the Sky Customer Service department, a sneaky trick is to go through to the customer retentions or disconnections department.  If you are out of contract you should be able to haggle a better deal.  At the start of the call say that you would like to arrange for your Sky TV contract to be cancelled. The advisor should then ask why you want to leave.

Call Sky TV

This short version of how my phone call went: Me:  “I cannot afford to pay the amount that I am paying each month and I want to cancel my contract” Advisor: “Well let me see what deal you have at the moment” Me: “We currently have the basic package and we are still paying a huge amount” Advisor: I can see that you have a TV, internet and phone line bundle offer, but it is an old offer, I can move you onto one of our newer basic packages and you will get 10 additional channels, such as history, discovery” Me: “I don’t know my husband has asked me to call and cancel” Advisor: “Ok, let’s look at your Internet package, I can see that you have an old deal, I can upgrade that so that you get a better internet speed” Me: “I still don’t know, I seem to be getting charged for some phone calls” Advisor: “I could change your package to basic one, can I ask if you use voicemail? Me: “No, I receive very few calls to my landline and do not use the voicemail” Advisor: “Ok I have removed the voicemail, If I change your Sky TV, Internet and Phone line package I can get your monthly bill down to £45.00” Me: “So if we change to this cheaper package we would get faster broadband and more channels?” Advisor: “Yes” At this point I did try to negotiate a further discount but he would not budge. My bill would reduce from 864.00 a year to £540.00.  That’s a whopping saving of £324.00 a year. As you can see it really is that easy to negotiate.

Get phoning

Make sure you have the competitor price information in front of you before you start phoning. Start by phoning customer services and either click option or ask to be transferred to the customer cancellations department.  The customer service numbers are 03300 413 018 or 0333 2022 135.   Always stay calm and polite during the call, you want the Advisor to offer the best deal possible.  When you phone disconnections, you need to be prepared to actually cancel your contract.  The advisor will work hard to keep you as a customer. Don’t worry if you end up cancelling you contract, you can always call back and tell them you have changed your mind.  Good luck with your phone calls and let me know in the comments below how much you have saved.

This post was proofread by Grammarly