HOUSEHOLDS that get their TV and broadband services from Sky Ireland are to be hit with a price rise from April.
Sky Ireland is increasing its prices for TV and broadband customers by 5.1pc. This will work out at an average of €4.51 per month.
It means that over a year households will end up paying out an extra €54.
The company claimed it needs to increase prices due to a “significant increase” in its operational costs.
It comes after Vodafone increased prices across a range of broadband, TV and home phone plans back in November of last year, and Eir announced a price hike for mobile, TV and broadband customers that came into effect in August.
Sky Ireland said the price hike for each customer will depend on the package that customers have with it.
But it insisted the rises will be capped at either €7, or 7pc per month, whichever is the smaller amount.
The changes to customer bills will come into effect from April. Notifications are being sent out to customers from today.
A spokesperson for Sky Ireland said: “We always strive to keep costs as low as possible, while providing the best choice and services.
“We have seen significant increases in costs and, where possible, we have absorbed those costs to limit the impact to our customers.
“That is why we didn’t increase our prices last year.”
Sky Ireland said it knows price increases are never welcome, particularly in the current economic landscape, but it hopes its customers can see that it continues to deliver the innovative products.
Daragh Cassidy of price comparison site Bonkers.ie said the Sky increase is below the rate of general inflation, and below the 8.1pc price hike reported for the UK.
But that will be cold comfort to families who have had to contend with record gas, electricity and food price hikes over the past year or so.
He said that all the telecoms providers are increasign prices.
In 2021 Three announced that it would increase the monthly charge on its billpay plans by 4.5pc every year, in April, for new customers and those upgrading or signing new contracts.
And last year both Vodafone and Eir announced that they will increase their plans by the rate of inflation plus 3pc every year, coming into effect each April.
This means price hikes of over 10pc are due to be implemented by both providers in a few weeks’ time.