Virgin Media price rise – The simple tip to help YOU beat the hike and reduce your bills

for some of its customers.

The broadband, TV and telephone provider is adding between £2 and £4 to monthly bills with the average rise across the UK costing customers around £2.20.

Those affected by the hike have begun receiving correspondence from Virgin explaining how much will be added to their bill and when the increase will kick in.

“Increasing prices is not a decision which we take lightly,” Virgin Media said in a statement.

“We work hard to keep our prices competitive while continuing to invest in our network and improve the services we offer our customers.

“This year’s price increase is lower than last year while broadband usage on our network has increased by almost 40% in that time.”

If you have received a message from Virgin then it’s likely your bill will be increasing in October or November but there is a very easy way to beat the hike.

As long as you are out of your current contract, Virgin will help you negotiate a better deal.

Express.co.uk managed to cut one member of our team’s bill by simply calling Virgin Media’s customer support line (dial 150 from your Virgin Media landline or 0345 454 1111 from any other phone) and getting through to their retentions department.

Not only did we get a better offer but Virgin fixed the price for 18-months meaning you won’t be hit by any bill shock now or in the future.

Along with getting your bill price fixed, it’s also worth checking what broadband speeds you have and what you actually need.

Virgin offers a range of different bundles including 50, 100, 200 and 350Mbps and prices vary depending on what you opt for.

If you don’t need 200Mbps and are happy to drop to 100Mbps you can save yourself around £5 per month.

As an example of the difference these options will make, an HD movie will download in around 4 minutes using 100Mbps with that time falling to 2 minutes with 200Mbps.

It’s also worth noting that Virgin currently has a range of 12-month offers on TV, broadband, and phone with a market-leading deal for those who want Sky and BT Sport.

You can currently get the VIP bundle which includes 350Mbps broadband, 260 channels -including all BT and Sky Sports – and Talk More Anytime for £89 per month.

This package usually costs £129 per month.

A Virgin Media spokesperson recently told Express.co.uk: ”We do everything we can to keep our pricing as competitive as possible and give our customers great value.”

TOP TIPS FOR REDUCING YOUR BILLS

• Check your contract and always renegotiate when it comes to an end.

• Do your research on other companies and try to find a similar deal at a lower price

• Be nice – when you call your supplier take a friendly tone as this is more likely to help you than being aggressive

• Be prepared to sign a new contract. Companies won’t drop prices without locking into to the offer for 12 months

• If you do decide to leave your current broadband supplier, make sure you are getting a like-for-like service somewhere else. Lower prices may seem enticing but can often mean slower speeds and capped allowances.