It’s never been more important to try and cut down your costs than now.
The rising cost of living is causing so many of us to go into financial disarray and we’re finding more and more that we can’t enjoy the luxuries of life anymore – we simply can’t afford to!
The thing is, entertainment at home is a crucial aspect of our lives. It means the difference between boredom and happiness and it can keep us at home instead of heading out – which saves us more money overall!
The trouble comes in the price. Sky can be very expensive and it can often be troublesome to decide whether to cancel your entertainment package entirely and opt for something more affordable.
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4 Ways to Reduce Your Sky Bill
But, you might not have to. We’ve created this helpful guide to try and help you save some money on your Sky bill, without having to lose Sky entirely!
1. Sit Down And Assess The Situation
Now, this point is extremely important and it doesn’t just matter to Sky, you should try and do this for all of your outgoing bills.
Look at what you’re getting from Sky and assess if you actually need what you’re paying for.
For example, many people will have things included in their package which can hike the price wildly, but they may not need it anymore.
This is common with families who had the kids package included with their bundles but now, the kids have grown up and you no longer need to have the kids shows.
Things as basic as this can save you hundreds of pounds a year – so it’s critical to do this step.
Another thing you should check is if you’re paying for movies and sports. Don’t get us wrong, it’s always nice to have the full package – but it is certainly a pricey endeavour.
If you’re also paying for services like Netflix or Amazon video – or both – you might not necessarily require the movie package. The same goes for sports, particularly as many leagues have moved over to Amazon or BT.
Looking at what you currently have and working out if you can cut certain shows or bundles out of what you’re paying for is a good starting point before you take things further – which we’ll get to.
Another great idea is to do some research online and do a comparison. Are Sky offering new customers a very cheap package with more than what you’re getting? Are Virgin Media offering a much better deal?
These questions can be vital indicators to your notes. If you’ve discovered that Sky are offering much more enticing deals to new customers – you can bring this up with your next step.
2. Contact Sky
The key to reducing your Sky bill is to contact Sky.
Talk with a customer service advisor about your current package and situation. They might be able to help you or offer you something better and for a cheaper rate.
Much like phone contracts, Sky can offer upgrades every so often. A lot of long term Sky customers have never contacted Sky unless things go wrong, and this can be a costly mistake.
If your research has uncovered that you don’t need certain packages or that Sky are offering better deals elsewhere, you should bring this up with the advisor. It’s possible that they might be able to match these deals or remove some pricey packages.
Always have an idea of how much money you should be paying out for your entertainment and work out if you’re paying way more than this.
During your research, it’s a good idea to note down if there are seasonal deals or online-only deals.
At the end of the day, Sky will want to keep you as a customer and certainly if you have been a loyal customer for many years. Talking through your situation with Sky might be able to reveal a price reduction or new package that suits you better.
3. Be Prepared To Switch Or Cancel
Many customers don’t realise that Sky aren’t the be all and end all entertainment provider. There are plenty of alternatives out there and some offer the same sort of packages that Sky does.
As a new customer of, for example, Virgin Media, you might be offered a much more attractive deal for an 18 month or 2 year period.
You are always entitled to cancel your services after the duration of the contract has expired.
As we mentioned earlier, if you’re already paying for things like Amazon Prime or Netflix – you might not even require the Sky package anymore.
It’s actually possible to receive the most basic Sky package for a fee which makes little financial sense – Freeview offers the same channels.. For free!
If you’ve discussed your situation and the advisor cannot help in a price reduction or you aren’t happy with their response, you should consider leaving Sky and signing up for an alternative.
It’s not something we want to do, but sometimes it can be the only option.
A lucrative idea that some people have previously acted on is cancelling their Sky package and asking their partner or housemate to sign up as a new customer with some attractive deals.
After the expiration of the contract, sign back up in your name as a new customer.
4. Combine Your Services
Sometimes you can find deals that include things like broadband or mobile contracts.
If you find the overall cost of this package can save you money with television that you want included, you should consider cancelling your other service providers and combining them into Sky.
Not only can this reduce your overall monthly costs, but you’re only going to pay one fee as opposed to several throughout the month.
This can make things so much easier when it comes to your monthly bills.
The Bottom Line
Sky isn’t always affordable and sometimes we have to decide if we’re going to keep our packages going or not. The first step is always to do a self-assessment and then contacting Sky about your situation.
If you’re still not happy, always remember you can walk away and choose alternatives.
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