I have a severely disabled friend. He has previously been sectioned and has not left his flat since October 2023. He only leaves his bed to cook small meals, and to use the bathroom. Among other ailments is a brittle bone condition which has caused him to suffer three fractured hips. He takes powerful medication, and relies on benefits to live.
Recently, I discovered that he is paying Virgin Media between £144 and £175 a month for his TV broadband/landline package.
He does watch Sky TV, Netflix and use his phone, but he has no need for Sky Sports which is included in his bill. I can’t help believing that his bill could be substantially reduced. Can you help?
AF, Hertfordshire
These cases are very difficult because we never know what the person agreed to when they took out the contract. I agree that on the face of it, though, £175 a month is a crazy sum to be paying.
I asked Virgin Media to contact the customer, and having done so it has concluded that he is on the best bundle for his needs – albeit still at a whopping £120 a month. This includes Premium Netflix which is worth £17.99 if bought separately, and Sky Sports that he doesn’t need, but wouldn’t save any money by ditching.
That said, I think you could help him bring this bill down significantly by establishing which channels he actually watches, and then switching to the Sky home entertainment package that fits his needs. I would also suggest he opts for a daytime telephone calls package, as this appears to be pushing up the bill.
He would have to buy the Netflix package directly, but this would take about five minutes to set up. Whether he can face the disruption, only you and he can decide.
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