Determining the Total Cost of a Sky Broadband Package

When considering a Sky broadband package you should not look at the package features alone but also the cost. Living in an economic recession should push you to not only look at the options that suit your needs but also your wallet. There are various methods one can use to find the best deal available and they usually centre around the package expenses. You will do well to remember that the advertised monthly fee is not always the amount you will be spending. Instead, look for any hidden costs and incentives in the package - they may influence your decision massively.

The different features of a Sky package deal

Before examining the cost of your Sky broadband package you should consider what the package is comprised of. There are a number of different sections which make up these deals and you need to determine if these are what you want and need.

Sky is generally known for their TV packages and therefore this should be examined closely.  Sky offer a diverse range of TV products and you should consider what you are most likely to watch.  Your viewing preferences will usually determine what TV package you should get.  Furthermore, the more TV packages you have in your deal the more the deal is likely to cost.  Sky has split their TV packages into movies, sports and entertainment, and it is possible to get one or all of these as part of your Sky package deal.

The broadband section is arguably one of the most important parts of any Sky package.  The broadband you can get with these deals will range from limited to unlimited and the data amount often has an influential effect on the price.  It is recommended that you not only look at the data allowance but the speed as well for the speed you actually get, which may not be the speed advertised; in fact, only 10% of consumers will receive those advertised speeds. 

The phone line is usually the least looked at aspect of the Sky package deals.  The majority of people do not use their home phone regularly.  This is due to the increase in free mobile minutes offered by different mobile phone providers.  Seeing as these minutes are free it is a better idea to use them for your daily phone needs, but the landline is still required to run an ADSL broadband connection making this aspect of the package essential.  The phone line feature will generally include free calls during certain times of the day or week and it is advised that you check if the calls are completely free or just inclusive.  It is important to recognise the difference between these two and establish the potential implications.

Once you have identified the different sections of the package you need to look at the prices.  Pricing for the package deals will vary depending on the different facets of the deal and the added incentives.

An overall price of the Sky broadband package

An overall price of your package will be determined by what is included in the package.  If you have unlimited broadband, all TV offers and a phone line rental then you will be paying the highest price available, approaching £100 per month. However, if you were to remove certain aspects of your package the price will be less. 

Potential hidden costs in the package

One of the more vital steps when reviewing package deals is to establish whether or not there are hidden costs.  It has been seen that these hidden costs vary depending on which package you will be getting. 

The first hidden cost may be the line rental amount you will have to pay.  Many think that if you are not getting a phone service then you do not have to worry about this expense.  However, if you are receiving ADSL broadband you will need a phone line rental which must be paid to the provider or BT directly.  Should you pay through your provider, in this case Sky, you may be given a special rate.  However, these special rates are generally subject to upfront payment and you will need to pay the special rate for the phone line 12 months upfront and all at once.  If you are unable to do this then you will have to pay the normal rate monthly.  It is important to note that the line rental cost is never included in the advertised price so you need to add this on to your monthly cost of any ADSL broadband package

Another potential hidden cost to be aware of are installation fees. The majority of packages will have an installation cost as there is always something that needs to be installed.  Among broadband packages the installation cost may be to cover the technician coming out to set up your broadband connection.  Among packages with TV services the installation cost will be for the technician installing the satellite dish and ensuring that everything is working correctly.  The cost of installation is always dependent on the service provider and the package you are getting.  Of course, there are certain packages that do not have an installation fee and this will be outlined in the terms and conditions. 

Potential incentives of a broadband package

As a ploy to gain your business most service providers will offer some form of incentive and Sky is no different.  The incentive you receive will often vary on the type of package you are getting and you should note that these are usually special incentives for people who are already Sky customers.

Vouchers are well-known incentive.  These vouchers are generally for a retail store and the amount will vary depending on the deal and the provider. 

The most common incentive you will find is a particular number of contract months for free.  These deals will generally have you not pay anything for the initial 3 to 6 months of the contract. 

Another incentive is a half price cost.  These incentives will have you pay only half the normal cost for a set number of months.  In certain cases for existing Sky customers the half price deal may cover the entire package contract.