Virgin Media customers to be hit with 5.9% price rise from February

The telecoms provider is the latest to announce forthcoming price hikes, with the following price rises taking effect from 1 February next year:

• Line rental will increase by £1/month, from £15.99 to £16.99.

• Line rental saver – where you get a cheaper deal by paying upfront for the whole year rather than paying monthly – will increase by £20/year from £144/year to £164/year.

• Big Easy quad bundle prices will increase by £2/month. Currently customers pay £15/month for the first 12 months and £20/month after. Line rental is paid on top of the bundle price.

• Big Bang quad bundle prices will increase by £2/month. Currently customers pay £20/month for the first 12 months and £30/month after. Line rental is paid on top of the bundle price.

• Big Kahuna quad bundle prices will rise by £3.50/month. Currently customers pay £35/month for the first 12 months and £45/month after. Line rental is paid on top of the bundle price.

• Big Daddy quad bundle prices will rise by £3.50/month. Currently customers pay £80/month for the first 12 months and £95/month after. Line rental is paid on top of the bundle price.

Virgin Media says no other prices are changing and that broadband-only customers are unaffected by today's news – prices for these customers already rose by £1.50/month in October (see the Virgin Media broadband customers face price rise from October MSE News story).

BT, Sky and TalkTalk customers face price rises from 1 December, while Plusnet increased some prices from 23 September.

Dana Strong, chief operating officer at Virgin Media says: "Some of our prices are changing so we can continue to invest in giving our customers more of what they want – the best entertainment packages and unbeatable superfast broadband. 

"There are no changes to our call charges or talk plans. We're doing everything we can to keep any increase as low as possible, especially for our existing customers."

Can I leave my contract penalty free?

If you're an affected customer you can leave penalty free as long as you notify Virgin Media that you want to do so by the end of December this year (see our Cheap Home Phones and Cheap Broadband guides to get the best deals).

Virgin Media says it is beginning to email and post customers notification of the price changes from today.

Check whether you're due a broadband speed boost

As part of the notifications being sent out today Virgin Media is also reminding broadband customers that some are eligible for a speed boost, which they haven't taken up.

Customers on certain deals are being offered free upgrades – from 30Mb to 50Mb, 60Mb to 100Mb and 120Mb to 152Mb – but you have to opt in to get the benefit and Virgin Media says some have yet to do so.  

Keep an eye out for your letter/email from Virgin Media and follow the instructions to activate the faster speed. You can type in your postcode on the Virgin Media website to check if your home is one of those where faster speeds are available.

If you want to upgrade your speed before your letter/email arrives, you can go to the 'My Virgin Media' customer portal to activate it.

Also see our Broadband Speed guide to check your speed and for for tips on how to boost it.