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Britain's biggest broadband and telecoms giant is to hike prices for millions of customers from April - adding an average of £36 to household bills.

Sky told Mirror Money those with Sky Entertainment and Broadband Essential will see their bills rise on April 1.

"We know price increases are never welcome, so we try to keep prices down while continuing to bring customers the best entertainment all in one place, leading customer service and even more flexibility to choose the package that best suits them," a statement said.

Not all products are increasing - Sky Cinema and Sky Kids will remain the same, while existing Sky Sports customers will see no increase and will continue to pay £23.

Sky Broadband Superfast prices have also been frozen, however those on the Sky Broadband Essential package will see their bills increase by £2 from £20 to £22.

Meanwhile, Sky Entertainment is increasing by £2 from £22 to £24. Sky told us the average person will see their bills rise by £3 a month - equivalent to £36 a year.

The TV and Broadband price changes will take effect from April 1, 2020.

Sky said it will be notifying affected customers of the changes by email or post between 20 February and 25 March.

Avoid the Sky price rise

(Image: Caiaimage)

Whether you're locked in a deal or are currently on a rolling contract, Ofcom states that customers are allowed to leave early if their provider hikes prices mid-contract without initial warning (usually in the small print of your contract).

However as this is an inflation-linked hike, you won't be able to use it to escape your contract fee-free.

Nevertheless, you are still within your rights to do something about it - and Sky itself told Mirror Money that anyone concerned about how the changes will affect them should get in touch with its customer care line as soon as possible.

If you're in contract, get in touch with Sky to try and haggle a cheaper deal.

If you're out of contract, you're free to either a) leave or b) sign up to a more competitive package as a 'new customer'.

How to contact Sky

Calls to Sky contact centres are inclusive for Sky Mobile and Sky Talk customers. To get in touch with its Customer Services team, call 0330 041 3130. Alternatively, choose another option from its 'contact us' section online.

Thinking about leaving Sky? See our 5 alternatives to consider instead, here.