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The broadband, TV and phone service provided by Sky offers fantastic options for entertainment, education and everyday utility, but what do you do if your broadband has slowed to a crawl or your TV picture keeps on breaking up? What is the best way to get your problem fixed?

In this guide we will take a look at how Sky can help when problems arise, plus solutions you can try yourself to solve minor problems. Whether you have a problem with your bill or a slow broadband connection, this guide will advise you on how to find a solution. Sky provides a lot of help on its website, but you can also contact them by telephone to solve any issues you might have.

Problems with your bill

If you have missed a payment or are struggling to pay your bill

Unpaid bills can go unnoticed if you have an irregular income and pay by direct debit. Keep an eye on your bank statements or your Sky account online, to avoid late payment and chargeback fees. If you wait until your service is restricted you may already have late payment charges added to your bill.

If you notice a missed payment, get in touch with Sky straight away to say when you can pay. Taking action may help avoid the extra charges associated with late payment.

Late payment can lead to your service being restricted until payment is received or a payment plan is set-up. Sky can help you with this if you contact them. The help Sky can offer depends on a number of factors, including the frequency of late payments and whether you already have a payment plan in place. Whatever your situation, it is a good idea to contact Sky.

Sky offers various self-service options on its website, including the ability to make smaller payments throughout the month. This can be a good way to help you budget.

It is worth noting that you can’t cancel your Sky account if your service is restricted. Cancellation can begin once the service is reinstated.

If you think you have been overcharged

If your bill is unexpectedly high, check your contract for charges such as late payment fees or expensive phone calls which fall outside your call package. If you are sure a charge is incorrect, call Sky, which should help clear up the problem. Alternatively, you can contact Sky via its website.

Broadband Faults

If your broadband connection slows to a crawl, or disappears completely, there are a few things you can try before contacting Sky.

• Have you tried turning it off and on again? – Unplug your router from the power supply. While you are there, unplug the cable which runs from the router to your telephone socket at both ends. Wait a couple of minutes before plugging the cable firmly back into the telephone box socket and the router. Now reconnect the power and wait for the router to finish its start-up sequence. Check if you are reconnected
• Have you paid your bill? – If you haven’t noticed a failed direct debit payment, it is possible your service has been restricted. It will be reinstated when the bill has been paid, or you may be able to come to an arrangement with Sky if you are in difficulty.
• Check the service status – Visit the Sky website to find out if there is any maintenance work affecting your service
• Plug a device directly into your router with an ethernet cable – If the device can connect to the internet this way, then the problem may be with your wifi

If none of these suggestions help, contact Sky directly to report the fault. If necessary, an engineer will visit to solve the problem.

TV faults

What should you do if your TV picture is breaking up or there is no signal at all?

Sky offers more than one set-top box, so instructions will vary depending on which box you have. Take a look at the Sky website for box-specific instructions. The website will take you through a few steps you can try, including how to reset the box or check the HDMI connection to your TV.

If none of this works, contact Sky directly by phone or via its website. It may be necessary for Sky to send an engineer to check your system and satellite dish.

Customer service phone number

You can contact Sky on 0333 7591 018 to get help or report a fault. You can also check the status of your account or view your service status online at the Sky website.

Slow or unreliable broadband

A number of different factors can affect the speed of your broadband connection, from the distance between your property and the nearest on-street cabinet, to the position of your router. Speeds are also affected by the number of users in your home. If your household is connected to numerous devices then you may need a faster broadband package.

If you have a slow wifi connection in some parts of your property

If you have a large home, or even one with lots of structural steel, this can interfere with your wifi connection, so finding the right position for your router is important to make sure your devices are close enough to get a good connection. If you need a good connection in a part of your home where your wifi signal is weak, it may be worth using a powerline connection to connect to your router via your property’s power cables. Alternatively, you can run an ethernet cable from the router to your computer (these hard-wired connections won’t help with wireless devices such as phones). For wireless devices, a wifi booster may be the best option.

If you have consistently slow wifi

If your connection speed is consistently slower than the estimated speed promised when you took out your contract, you can make a formal complaint. Call the Sky customer service number to get started. It is a good idea to rule-out any technical faults before taking this step as the problem may be something Sky can fix.

Use social media to speed up response times

If you are experiencing persistent problems with your service, you can try posting your concerns on the Sky Facebook or Twitter accounts. Sky wants to be seen to provide a good service, so making your complaint on a more public platform can push providers to act more quickly.

It is important to remain polite, clear and factual in these interactions to get the best response.

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