Virgin Media O2 offers cost of living support
October 11, 2022
Virgin Media O2 has boosted its support for those hit hardest by the cost-of-living crisis with a price cut to its existing social tariff and plans to launch a new triple speed social broadband tier with an optional discounted entertainment offer.
The price of basic Essential Broadband, which is specifically targeted at those receiving Universal Credit, with speeds of 15Mbps will drop by 16 per cent to £12.50 per month for all new and existing customers. A new, faster tier called ‘Essential Broadband Plus’ will also launch in November that will deliver speeds of 50Mbps for £20 per month. All Essential Broadband products come with no fixed-term contract and no activation fees.
The company is also giving Essential Broadband Plus customers the option to add Virgin Media O2’s latest entertainment product, Stream, for an upfront, one-off fee of £20 – a 42 per cent saving on the normal £35 charge – with no long-term contract or ongoing charges for the basic package. Stream simply plugs into any TV and seamlessly combines live TV, on-demand apps, popular streaming subscriptions all in one place. Any customer taking Stream can get 10 per cent credit back on the subscriptions they add to the service via their Virgin Media bill.
Jeff Dodds, Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Media O2, commented: “We have a long history of stepping up in tough times and now is no different. Connectivity remains an essential part of our lives, so we are boosting the support we provide to those who need it most in the cost-of-living crisis. We’re taking steps to increase awareness of our social broadband plans, while making it easier to sign up, and are calling on the Government to cut VAT on social tariffs which we will directly pass on, helping those struggling most to save even more. Through continued network investment, and a range of products at different price points and speeds, we consistently provide incredible value to customers and will keep playing our part in this challenging climate.”
As part of an ongoing commitment to tackling data poverty, Virgin Media O2 also pioneered the UK’s first ever National Databank, in partnership with charity, Good Things Foundation, to provide free mobile data to people who need it.Virgin Media O2 is donating more than 61 million GB of free O2 data to the National Databank to help people most affected by the cost of living crisis to stay connected. The National Databank is like a foodbank but for free mobile data, texts, and calls, which can be accessed through more than 600 of Good Things Foundation’s community partners across the UK.