With the TV licence fee due for an increase from April, scores of Brits are rethinking their payments – but some people may not have to worry about the price hike, according to Martin Lewis.
The current cost for a standard colour TV licence is £169.50 per year, but this figure is due to climb by £5 come April 1. However, the Money Saving Expert suggests some people might be shelling out for the licence unnecessarily and has encouraged them to contemplate cancelling their bill.
The current stipulation from the government mandates a TV licence for watching or recording live broadcasts on any BBC channel or utilising the BBC iPlayer. Nonetheless, licences aren’t required for enjoying streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, or channels including All4, Channel 4, and ITVX.
Special allowances are available for those aged 75 or older who receive Pension Credit, the visually impaired, or residents in care homes, who could be eligible for a complimentary or reduced-rate licence.
However, watching BBC programmes can prompt legal action and fines up to £1,000 – or £2,000 in Guernsey. Advising the public, Lewis highlighted the opportunity to request a refund, which is viable up to two years past your licence’s expiry date.
One Reddit user contributed their viewpoint, remarking: “I’m happy paying my licence just for the radio. Don’t watch the telly much but the radio with no ads is 100% worth it for me.”
Another user chimed in: “Pretty sure the only thing I use it for is FA cup matches lol. Might just cancel it and watch at the pub instead. Pints are expensive these days but a d*mn sign cheaper than p***** money up the wall on unoriginal terrestrial TV cr*p.”
A third user pondered: “Just as a thought experiment, if everyone stopped paying the license fee and the BBC are forced to adopt a commercial model, or worse still, end up being sold off to a private media conglomerate, what would happen to public broadcasting in this country?”
Lewis states you may be entitled to a refund if:
- You’re moving in with someone who already has a TV licence or moving somewhere where you won’t watch live TV or use BBC iPlayer
- You’re moving abroad
- You’re 75 or over and receiving Pension Credit (or living with someone who is)
- You’re moving into a care home
- You have two licences for the same address
- You have a licence, but will not watch or record programmes as they’re being shown on TV or use BBC iPlayer before your licence expires
- If you’ve changed the type of licence to a cheaper one, such as a black-and-white licence, you may be due a partial refund
- If the TV licence holder has died, a refund may be due to the estate