The BBC TV licence fee is due to increase by £10.60 in April, leaving many questioning whether they truly need to fork out for the larger expenditure.
Anyone who streams live TV or watches BBC iPlayer must pay the licence fee, which is currently £159 – soon to be £169.50 – every year. However, a range of circumstances can mean a household doesn’t need one anymore and if so, they may be able to claim a full or partial refund.
Christie Cook, managing director of retail at Hodge said: “As it stands, households are now paying an annual cost of £159. However, the proposed £10 increase set for April surpasses the fees of leading streaming platforms.
“This hike equates to £37.12 more than a standard Netflix subscription, £61.12 higher than Amazon Prime or Disney+, and £49.12 more than Now TV.”
Ms Cook noted: “Our research shows that more than 30 percent of people have reduced spending on monthly subscriptions in the past 12 months.
“Allocating just £0.83 per month to your savings account can cover this extra £10 a year. The real question here is whether UK households are willing to forego this annual fee and endure ads between their favourite TV shows and movies.”
How to request a TV licence refund
Britons can request a TV licence refund if they won’t need their licence again before it expires. They also must have at least one complete month left on it.
The main circumstances in which refunds are typically considered include:
- A person no longer watches or records live TV on any channel or device and does not download or watch BBC programmes on BBC iPlayer any more
- A person moves to an address that already has a TV Licence
- A person moves into a care home
- A person moves abroad
- If a licence holder has a blind certificate issued by a local authority or ophthalmologist but didn’t claim the reduction for the 50 percent blind concession
- Having two licences for the same address
- The licence holder has died.
According to the TV Licencing website, the limit Britons have to apply for the refund is up to 14 days before the date they no longer need it.
If the licence has already expired, they can still apply for a refund if less than two years have passed since the expiry date.
People will have to fill out a form to apply. They may be asked to provide evidence to prove they won’t need the licence anymore.
After the form is submitted, the TV licencing company will confirm whether or not they’ll be able to provide a refund, before working out the precise refund amount.
According to TV Licencing, refunds are typically calculated in unused months and paid either by cheque or directly into the person’s bank account.
Britons can find out when their licence expires by signing into their account with their licence number, name on the licence, and postcode. However, those who don’t qualify for a refund can still cancel their licence online if they don’t feel they need it anymore.
How to cancel a TV licence
If a household is certain they won’t need a TV licence anymore, they can formally let TV Licensing know by filling out the cancellation request form.
TV Licensing may then pay a visit to check if the decision is correct. If a licence is needed, the household will have to pay the full licence fee and may risk prosecution and a fine.
The fine varies depending on location and can see people in the UK mainland hit with a maximum fine of £1,000, while those in Guernsey and Jersey could face fines of up to £2,000 and £500 respectively.
