Virgin Media price increase 2026: what can customers do?
Virgin Media increases its prices for millions of broadband, TV and home phone customers in April each year.
This price increase applies whether you are mid-contract or out of contract, and some customers could see an increase of up to £4 a month.
Virgin Media customers who recently signed up to their contract will be on a fixed, 'pounds and pence' price increase, but those who last signed up before 2025 will see a price increase in line with the RPI rate of inflation announced every February.
Here's everything you need to know.
Which Virgin Media price increase will you get?
Check whether you're subject to Virgin Media's inflation-based price increase or its new fixed price rise in April.
Fixed price increase
Contracts starting from 9 January 2025: £3.50 per month price increase on 1 April.
Contracts starting from 2 October 2025: £4 price increase on 1 April.
Inflation price increase
If you signed up to your current contract before 9 January 2025, your 2026 price increase will be 7.7%.
Virgin Media customers affected by this price increase unfortunately can't cancel their contract early without paying early exit fees.
However, if you've been on your current Virgin contract for two years or more, you are likely out of contract and overpaying for your broadband. So now would be a great time to compare new deals from other providers.
Here's everything you need to know about Virgin Media's price increase.
Is your broadband bill going up in 2026?
If your contract term has ended, you're free to find a cheaper broadband deal right away.
How much is Virgin Media's price increase?
If you took out your current Virgin Media contract on or after 9 January 2025, you'll see a fixed price increase of £3.50 per month on 1 April.
However, if your contract starts from 2 October 2025, your price increase will instead be £4 per month on 1 April.
In early 2026, many Virgin Media customers will still be on the inflation-linked price increase it has run with for the past few years. This adds the RPI rate of inflation, announced each February, to Virgin's own amount of 3.9%.
In 2026, the RPI increase is 7.7%. Depending on your current monthly cost, this would result in a price increase of approximately £2 per month on cheaper plans, or up to £4 on the most expensive plans (for example, packages that include TV).
As is quite clear, those who recently joined Virgin Media will likely be hit with a more expensive 'fixed' price increase than what an RPI-based increase would have added to their bill.
While a price hike stated in pounds and pence provides customers with more clarity upfront about what they should expect to pay, this new policy affects those on lower monthly bills the most. For example, a £4 price increase to someone paying £25 a month is a 16% increase – more than double the rate an older customer on this plan would see.
Which Virgin Media customers are affected by the price increase?
Virgin Media's annual price hike applies to almost all customers using Virgin Media broadband, TV, or home phone packages.
This price increase is made clear in its terms and conditions and during the sign-up process when you're purchasing a Virgin Media deal. It's a process that all of the major UK broadband providers have, so you'll likely find similar polices with most other providers too.
However, the following groups are usually exempt from Virgin Media's annual price increase:
Those on a Virgin Media Essential social tariff, which is available to people receiving financial support like Universal Credit
Talk Protected landline customers
All other customers who Virgin Media has identified as 'vulnerable'
Can I cancel my Virgin Media contract for free?
Unfortunately, Virgin Media customers in the middle of their contract can't leave their contract for free as a result of this price increase.
The provider includes an annual price rise in its contract terms when you sign up, which means if you want to cancel your contract early you'll likely have to pay early exit fees.
However, if your initial contract with Virgin Media has finished, you will be able to leave for free straight away. You should be able to find a much less expensive broadband deal if you sign up as a new customer with a different provider.
Just keep in mind that, unless you can access a provider with fixed-price broadband contracts, your next provider will likely increase prices each year, too.
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Virgin Media's end of contract price rise
The April price hike isn’t the only price increase you’ll have to watch out for. You'll likely also be moved onto much more expensive ‘out of contract’ prices when your current contract term ends.
Virgin Media's out of contract prices can sometimes be double your initial monthly price, according to our pricing data in 2026. That's a huge increase in your monthly outgoings once your contract ends.
The good news is, at this stage, you’re also completely free to cancel your contract and switch to a new provider at any time.
Not ready to switch just yet?
If you still have some time left on your current broadband contract, feel free to sign up for an end-of-contract reminder with Uswitch.
Just add your contract end date and address, and we'll send you a notification when you're ready to switch to a new provider without charge. We'll even throw in some examples of new customer deals available at your address.
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Why is Virgin Media increasing prices?
Virgin Media's price rises are usually put in place to combat its own increasing prices as a business.
There are two main things that cause Virgin's costs to go up:
Inflation: As the cost of all resources, supplies, products and services increase, so does the provider's business expenses.
Service upgrades: Like all providers, Virgin Media is constantly working to improve its network's speed, reliability and coverage. This is an expensive thing to do, so it often raises pries to cover these costs.
“If you’re one of the estimated eight million Virgin Media O2 customers who are out of contract or coming to the end of your existing mobile or broadband deal, you don’t need to put up with price rises.
“Out-of-contract households are currently overpaying by an average of £329‡ a year, so if you're happy with your service, it’s worth calling your provider to haggle for a better rate. While switching remains the most effective way to cut costs, a quick conversation with the retention team could still help you offset the April sting.”
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How to contact Virgin Media
If you’d like to contact Virgin Media - whether that’s to negotiate an improved deal, double check whether you’re affected or just to find out more information - you can get in touch with its customer services team in a number of ways.
- Phone: Speak to Virgin Media’s customer services by calling 0345 454 1111 for free. Opening hours are Mon-Fri 7am-11pm / Sat-Sun 8am-8pm.
- Website: Sign in to your Virgin Media account on its website.
- Live chat: Get in touch with a customer representative at Virgin Media through its Live Chat feature.
- X: Make your inquiry via X by contacting @virginmedia
Virgin Media price rises FAQs
Can I negotiate my broadband prices with Virgin Media?
You might be able to negotiate a better deal with Virgin Media, but it's not a guaranteed way of avoiding a price increase.
So while some people may have succeeded in getting a better deal after discussing with the provider's customer services team, Virgin doesn't have to budge on its pricing if it doesn't want to.
Will Virgin Media increase their prices again?
Yes. Virgin Media provider has made annual price increases part of its terms & conditions. This means almost all customers who sign up in the future will have to abide by an annual price rise.
‡£329 is our calculated savings figure from February 2026, which details the potential amount a customer could save per year by choosing a broadband deal on Uswitch. Learn how we calculate our savings figures.