Sky 'didn't tell' TV customers they could save £240 a year

Sky has come under fire for not telling its customers they could be saving a stack of cash amid the Cost of Living crisis. The telecoms provider has faced criticism from a Guardian newspaper reader, who has hit out in the form of a letter to the national newspaper.

JR, from London, wrote: "I’ve been a Sky TV customer for more than 20 years but fear I may have overpaid by thousands of pounds because I’ve been out of contract since 2005. I recently discovered that, under Ofcom rules, your provider must remind you that your contract is ending, or has ended, and tell you about its best deals.

"Sky has not been doing this but, when I contacted it, I was told it had no legal obligation to do so. I have just signed a new contract, paying £67 a month. But last year I paid £87 a month, and in 2022, £82. The difference between my most recent out-of-contract price and the current cost is £20 a month, an extra £240 a year.

READ MORE UK braced for heatwave later this week but only 'half' of England will be hit

"Stretching that back to when my contract ended in 2005 means I must have overpaid by thousands, which, to my mind, is pretty scandalous overcharging. I have raised this with Ofcom but have not heard back yet. Can I get Sky to reimburse me?"

Phone, broadband and pay-TV customers must be warned when their current contract is ending, and what they could save by signing up to a new deal, under Ofcom rules. Ofcom research reveals that, every day, 25,000 broadband customers come to the end of their contract – usually leading to an automatic price rise.

The newspaper reported: "While Sky notifies broadband and phone customers, it argues that its pay TV service is not an electronic communication service and so is exempt. This row aside, Sky countered that it has regularly contacted you about pricing and with new offers, and that you turned down a discounted subscription last year."