BT broadband and TV UK price RISE – bills go up as customers now charged for BT Sport

GETTY – BT

BT customers could be set for some serious bill shock soon

BT customers will soon see their bills increase after the company announced rises for its broadband, TV and landline services.

The company has revealed major price rises for its broadband and TV packages across the UK, including the introduction of charges for BT Sport for the first time.

The price hikes will affect every BT customer in the UK, although some may not see increases just yet, with the company writing to customers now to explain the exact changes.

BT

BT TV customers will now have to pay to watch BT Sport for the first time

Under the new charges, copper broadband customers will see their bills increase by £2 a month from April 2nd.

Customers with BT Infinity fibre broadband will see their bills go up by £2.50 a month, equivalent to a rise of between five and six per cent.

For the first time, BT will start charging customers to watch its BT Sport channel, which until now had been free to watch for users with a BT TV subscription.

However from August 1st, BT TV customers will have to pay £3.50 a month for BT Sport, meaning the cost of their package will increase to £42 a year.

BT Sport viewers who don't have a BT Broadband subscription, but watch the channel on their Sky box, will also see their charges increase, with the cost going up £1 to £22.99 a month.

Customers who have BT Broadband and watch their Sky satellite service will see a £1.50 increase to £7.50 a month.

The new rises will also see BT ramp up the amount it costs to make phone calls across its network.

Anytime calling plans will go up by 49p to £8.99 a month, with evening and weekend call plans increasing 30p to £3.80 a month.

All call pence-per-minute rates are increasing by 1p and the call set-up fee is going up 2p to 21p with individual calling features to go up by 25p, such as Call Minder which will increase from £4.25 to £4.50.

However BT has frozen the cost of line rental for its customers at £18.99 a month, and will also cap call costs and not increase the cost of its BT Basic service.

BT defended the cost of the rises, with the company's consumer chief executive John Petter saying that, "Customers will get a better package and improved service from us this year in exchange for paying a little more.

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The news is the latest rise to hit UK broadband and TV customers following a rise from Virgin Media late last year.

The company also announced rises of around £3.50 a month as part of a campaign to make its services "bigger and better than ever before".

However Express.co.uk's investigations found that a simple phone call to Virgin Media could help you get a better deal, with the company willing to reduce the cost of some services straight away.

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