Virgin Media’s Response to the cost-of-living crisis
Every day, people and businesses rely on Virgin Media to stay connected at home, at work and on the go. At a time when living costs are rising and people’s finances are under increasing pressure, we are working hard to help the country stay connected.
Find out what we’re doing to help support our customers and communities, where to get help if you’re struggling with your bills, and how we’re continuing to invest in our network.
Providing customers with great value services and ways to save
We’re proud that day in and day out, we provide our customers with excellent value services. Beyond their ultrafast and reliable services, our customers can also benefit from a whole range of savings and benefits, just for being a Virgin Media or O2 customer. Here are just some of the ways customers can save:
Roaming: O2 customers can continue to use data, calls and texts just as they would in the UK when travelling to destinations all over Europe. Analysis of daily charge rates from other providers suggests that this could save a family of four going abroad for two weeks £100 or more.
Priority: All Virgin Media cable customers have free access to Priority, where they have the opportunity to enter exclusive prize draws, while receiving a range of ongoing perks and regular offers – from complimentary sausage rolls from Greggs through to Movie Mondays with ODEON. Since it launched in 2011 it has provided more than £210m in value and savings to customers.
VOLT: Virgin Media O2 launched its first ever joint product, Volt, in October 2021, which offers exclusive benefits when your household is with both Virgin Media and O2. Virgin Media O2 launched its first ever joint product, Volt, in October 2021, which offers exclusive benefits when your household is with both Virgin Media and O2. Alongside double mobile data and roaming in 75 countries, new and existing customers who take a Virgin Media broadband service and an eligible O2 Pay Monthly plan will receive a broadband speed boost to the next tier available (up to a max of 1Gbps)
Flex: Virgin Media recently launched Flex, which brings together entertainment subscriptions and free TV channels into one monthly package. Customers can get 10% credit back every month on the subscriptions they add to Flex, with all subscriptions available on 30-day contracts, meaning customers are in control of their spending and pay only for channels that suit them while earning credit at the same time.
Giving extra help to customers that need it most
We offer dedicated packages and support for customers who need extra help with their services or are struggling with their bills:
Social broadband tariff for customers receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income-based Employment Support Allowance: Virgin Media was one of the first telecoms providers to launch a broadband package for those facing financial difficulty and receiving Universal Credit. Eligibility was extended to those receiving support payments in February 2023. Launched in November 2020, our Essential broadband packages provide a range of affordable options including Essential broadband (£12.50 a month for 15Mbps), Essential broadband plus (£20 a month for 54Mbps), Essential broadband plus with Flex (an additional one-off payment of £20 per month for Flex). The plan has no fixed term contract length and no price changes while support payments are being received. We’ve seen continued growth in customers benefitting from the service since it launched in late 2020.
Fixed price landline only service: We also offer a Talk Protected landline service which provides inclusive evening and weekend calls and keeps prices fixed for phone-only customers who are over the age of 65 or those who have additional accessibility needs.
End of contract and annual best tariff notifications: We write to everyone at the end of their contract letting them know what they’re paying and providing information about deals available to them. For customers who chose to remain out of contract, every year we remind them they are out of contract and send them our best deals.
Exclusions from price rise: Vulnerable customers on our Essential Broadband and Talk Protected packages have not had their prices changed.
Help with bill payments: We are helping any customers that are finding it difficult to pay their bill. We continue to speak to individual customers to offer support where it’s needed and discuss other ways to pay, which could include providing a customer a few extra days to pay their bill, reviewing their package or creating a payment plan with us. Anyone struggling to pay should get in touch and we’ll try to find ways to support them.
Supporting those at risk of digital exclusion and connecting communities
While we continue to support our customers, there are still millions of people who lack access to connectivity. To improve digital access – vital for everything from applying for a job to finding information about a local foodbank – we are committed to supporting communities to help eradicate data poverty and connecting 1 million digitally excluded people across the UK over the coming years.
Data Bank: Virgin Media O2, together with Good Things Foundation, launched the first ever National Databank to tackle data poverty by providing free mobile data to people in need. Created by Virgin Media O2 – and gifted to Good Things Foundation to run through its network of 5,000 community organisations – the National Databank launched in 2021 with 7.5 million GB of O2 mobile data to help over 200,000 people get connected by the end of 2023.
Community Calling: originally launched in July 2020 to respond to the challenge of connecting vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic, the programme has and continues to distribute thousands of refurbished devices to those in need offering a lifeline to the disconnected. In March 2022, company announced it is rehoming 2,500 used smartphones via charities, Migrant Help and Women’s Aid, which will distribute them to people who need them the most.
Staff Volunteering days: All of our staff are encouraged to spend five days a year volunteering to support their local communities. From digital literacy sessions to revitalising local playgrounds, our people are making a difference up and down the country.
Connecting Community Centres: We’re connecting 10 community hubs around the UK each year to gigabit broadband so the whole community can stay connected.
At a time when some businesses are scaling back investment plans, we’re doubling down on our commitment to upgrading the UK. This includes:
Investing £10bn over the next five years to upgrade our network to fibre, expand to bring gigabit services to more homes and businesses, rolling out 5G and continuing to boost mobile signal.
Creating new skilled jobs: We’re training hundreds of apprentices and are looking to fill more than a thousand roles across the organisation. With roles available across the country, there has never been a better moment to join our team
Partnering with the public sector to level up the local communities we serve with digital skills, jobs and cutting-edge digital infrastructure.