Sky Switch Credit and other broadband switch offers

Author: Mark Billen

Last updated: 09 October 2024

You might switch broadband to avoid price rises or find a better service for the money.

At Broadband Genie, we usually recommend waiting until the end of your broadband contract before switching to avoid having to pay early termination fees. These penalty fees will be written into the small print of your contract when you sign up to a broadband deal. Typically, the remaining months of a minimum term are used to calculate early exit fees.

This is why switching before a contract ends isn’t typically cost-effective. However, some providers are now offering to buy you out of your existing broadband deal, mid-contract. These ‘switching credit’ offers essentially pay off your early termination charges (up to a fixed amount) to speed up your switch.

In this article, we’ll explore who offers a switching credit and how it works.

Which broadband providers offer switching credits?

In-contract buyouts are available to new customers signing up to:

• Sky Broadband
• EE
• BeFibre
• brsk

Sky Broadband is a popular provider that's readily available across the UK. There's also a chance you could sign up to one of its full fibre deals. It typically packages home broadband with Sky TV’s own premium TV entertainment service.

Will Sky buy out my contract?

Yes. Sky offers a switching credit. The total amount for this depends on the broadband package you sign up for. Customers who wish to switch to a Sky TV bundle can expect extra money back, with certain terms and conditions.

Here’s a summary of what you can get:

• Sky Broadband - Credit up to £100.
• Sky TV and Broadband (Sky Q, Sky Glass or Sky Stream) - Credit up to £200.

To receive these credits, you’d need to sign up to Sky first and get reimbursed later. This means you’ll need the money to outright pay your early cancellation fees to the old provider and then claim your Sky switching credit back within 90 days’ notice period from activation. Admittedly, not do-able for everyone.

Eligible claims must be filed by email ([email protected]) with the subject line 'Switch credit request', or by sending details to:

Sky Broadband Switch Credit
Firstsource
Riverside Road
Pride Park
Derby
DE24 8HY

Correspondence must include a copy of the final bill along with evidence the charges were paid. Successful claims are expected to be paid within 14 days.

Sound good? Here are our favourite Sky Broadband deals currently available.

Just be aware, not everyone in the UK will have access to its faster broadband speeds. To find out if it’s possible to sign up to these at your exact address, it’s important to use our deals checker.

EE Switch Offer

With EE, you'll be able to claim back up to £300 if you have fees for leaving your old broadband provider early.

You'll need to have ordered and activated your EE broadband, then email the final bill from your old supplier to [email protected], along with your EE order number. Your final bill should clearly show your itemised leaving fees.

Your claim will be paid as an account credit.

BeFibre Cash Contract Buyout

You can apply to have your contract buyout costs covered by BeFibre if you sign up to either the Be150, Be500 or Be900 full fibre packages.

There are set reimbursement amounts. These are:

• Be150 - up to £100 reimbursed
• Be500 - up to £125 reimbursed
• Be900 - up to £150 reimbursed

This is a cash reimbursement, which will be paid into a UK bank account or a PayPal account.

brsk In-Contract Buyout Credit

Customers within brsk's service area can receive an account credit up to £150 to cover cancellation or early termination fees from an existing provider.

The credits are valid if you sign up to either of these products on a 24-month contract:

• BetterNet150
• BetterNet500
• BetterNet1000
• BetterNet2000

You'll need to share the final bill from your cancelled provider, which clearly indicated the required payment of the broadband cancellation or early termination costs. This should be emailed to [email protected]. The full terms are available on the brsk website.

How to get out of a contract if you’re struggling to pay

Getting out of a broadband contract without penalty costs isn't usually possible for most customers. However, if you're stuck mid-contract and find paying the bill tough for fair reason, you should speak with your provider's customer service.

Social tariffs are available to customers who are recognised as being low-income and can provide evidence of receiving benefit support. Switching to a social tariff is always open to those who qualify, regardless of contract status, and will void your old terms.

Ask about social tariffs with your current provider and read our broadband on benefits guide for more information.

See also: 

• How to cancel a broadband contract early
• Getting help with broadband bills

Expert Summary

Riding out the months left on a current contract is the best way to avoid termination fees or inconvenience.

Although just a few providers offer switching credits, it can be a good incentive if you're desperate to leave your current deal.

Remember that limits on credit amounts may not cover all termination fees. Rules on making successful, valid claims are often strict and up to you to chase – which is also worth considering. You’ll also need the money available to pay your early termination fee outright.

As switching credit becomes more common within the broadband market, we’ll surely keep you updated on the options.

Seen a switching credit not listed here? Drop us a line at [email protected].