Sky to issue refunds to Irish broadband customers after a year of overcharging

Sky, a leading broadband and television provider, is set to issue refunds to its Irish customers who experienced unnotified price increases. This decision comes after the company identified errors affecting a small fraction of its customer base.

Customer Refunds After Overcharging Issues

The company serves approximately 260,000 broadband customers in Ireland, alongside a significantly larger TV customer base. Sky has acknowledged that it mistakenly increased prices on certain bills without prior notification.

Nature of the Price Increases

• Affected customers were charged an average of €50 more than they should have paid.
• Some customers reported charges exceeding €105 due to price hikes without notice.
• Less than 1% of Sky’s Irish customers were impacted by the error.

Notification and Regulatory Compliance

Sky’s review of its contract-change notifications revealed that some customers did not receive the necessary alerts regarding price adjustments over the past years. According to ComReg, the regulatory body for communications in Ireland, providers must inform customers about any modifications to their contracts, including price changes, with at least one month’s notice.

A Sky spokesperson confirmed, “To rectify the situation, we have applied a credit to your account to reflect the correct pricing.”

Future Price Adjustments

Despite the refunds, Sky has announced it will implement further price increases beginning in January 2026. This news has raised concerns among customers who rely on fixed pricing for budgeting.

Market Presence

Sky ranks as Ireland’s largest television provider and the fourth-largest in broadband, holding approximately 15.9% of the fixed-line market. In comparison, Eir leads with 27.7%, followed by Virgin Media at 20.9% and Vodafone at 20.8%.

Billing Strategies in the Industry

It has become standard practice for broadband and TV companies in Ireland to raise prices annually, typically aligning with inflation plus an additional percentage. For instance, in April 2025, Sky introduced an average increase of 4.5%, affecting various services.

Customers who have switched providers will still receive refunds through the payment method previously recorded on their accounts. If these methods are outdated, refunds will be issued via cheque to ensure customers receive the owed amount.