As the TV licence fee is set to increase from April, scores of UK residents are considering axing payments and shunning BBC content. Currently, people with a standard colour TV licence fork out an annual sum of £169.50, but come April 1st, this amount will climb by £5.
Yet Martin Lewis, the financial guru behind MoneySavingExpert.com, claims that some might be forking over money for the licence without needing it, as he implores them to cancel it for potential savings. According to official guidelines, a TV licence is mandatory to watch or record live broadcasts from any BBC platform, or stream BBC iPlayer programs.
Nonetheless, you don’t need a TV licence to indulge in streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, or to view free channels like All4, Channel 4, and ITVX. People aged 75 or above who get Pension Credit, or those who are visually impaired or live in residential care, could be eligible for a free or reduced-rate licence.
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But beware, watching BBC content without a licence could lead to legal action and a fine that may reach up to £1,000—or even £2,000 if you live in Guernsey . Sharing wisdom on the matter, Martin encourages viewers to assess their right to a refund:
Refunds can be requested up to two years after your licence expired. Voicing their stance on the debate, a Reddit user said: “I’m happy paying my licence just for the radio. Don’t watch the telly much but the radio with no ads is 100% worth it for me.” A further user stated: “Pretty sure the only thing I use it for is FA cup matches. Might just cancel it and watch at the pub instead. Pints are expensive these days but a d*mn sign cheaper than p***** money up the wall on unoriginal terrestrial TV cr*p.”
Another user posed the question: “Just as a thought experiment, if everyone stopped paying the license fee and the BBC are forced to adopt a commercial model, or worse still, end up being sold off to a private media conglomerate, what would happen to public broadcasting in this country?”.