'We used the cash we saved ditching our expensive TV package to fund dream holidays to Niagara Falls and New York'

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The average family spends £471 a year on watching TV
Almost 60 per cent pick their deal based on the sports channels
Typical household watches just a third of the channels on offer

Updated: 12:01 EST, 18 December 2015

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The average family spends as much as £471 a year on their subscription TV package, yet 56 per cent of households feel they are not getting value for money.

A whopping 65 per cent of households forking out for a costly package admit to watching less than a third of the channels on offer, according to research by subscription-free satellite TV provider Freesat.

The average subscription TV package will currently set you back by around £39 a month and with prices steadily climbing thanks to frequent price hikes, 42 per cent of billpayers feel like they are being taken advantage of by their providers.

Holiday of a lifetime: Tony and Pam Cooper used the money they saved from ditching their pricey TV package to send them on a dream holiday

Over the past year, Sky TV has increased the monthly charge on its Family Bundle - which includes 70 entertainment channels, more than 50 HD channels, 240 free-to-air channels, Sky Box Sets and 3D TV - by 9 per cent, while Virgin Media’s Premium Package was bumped up by 6 per cent.

Freesat's research also found that a whopping 59 per cent of households pick their TV deal solely for its sport package.

And it has emerged that sports fans looking to watch live matches from the comfort of their sofas could end up handing over more to their TV provider than the cost of a season ticket at their favourite football club.

Sky’s premium sports package, costing £51 a month, comes in more expensive than a season ticket at 16 of the Premier League’s 20 clubs, according to Freesat.

BIG SAVERS TONY AND PAM USED THE MONEY THEY SAVED TO FUND A DREAM TRIP TO NEW YORK AND NIAGARA FALLS

Retired couple Tony and Pam Cooper (pictured above) from Scarborough decided they'd had enough for paying for what they weren't watching and ditched their expensive TV package. They say the money they have saved since has helped send them on dream trips to New York and Niagara Falls.

Tony and Pam decided to ditch their paid-for TV contract in 2007 because they were fed up with constant price hikes.

Tony explains: ‘Even though we were paying for programmes, we still had to sit through adverts on so many of the channels. We also got tired of the provider frequently trying to persuade us to take more programmes – at a higher cost, of course.'

Since changing packages to try to save money, we must have saved a minimum of £3,000, which would be even more if we were paying for the same package at today’s prices.'

With the money saved, this has helped greatly with home improvements and holidays, including four cruises and a trip to New York and Niagara Falls. 'All these would have been impossible if we were still paying for Sky, plus extra holidays in the UK,’ he says.

What about the cost of 'free-to-air' TV?

When you buy a new TV typically it will come preloaded with a digital Freeview tuner that allows you to access around 70 channels.

Those with older models can access the free-to-air TV channels via an aerial and a set-top box, which can be bought for as little as a £20.

Shell out for a flashier box, costing around £150, which connects to your wireless internet and you can get catch-up TV, watch streaming services such as Netflix and pause, record and rewind your favourite programmes.

Freesat is an example of another alternative for those who want more choice of channels.

This also comes with no monthly subscription charges, however it does require a Satellite dish and a different set-top box.

The good news is you can use an existing Sky dish if you have had one installed at your home, otherwise a new one costs £79.99 for a single-feed dish and £94.99 for a double-feed dish that allows you to record one channel while watching another.

A Freesat box will set you back between £50 and £250, some televisions may already have the feature inbuilt.

The cheaper boxes on offer typically allow access to a couple of catch-up TV services while the costlier versions allow you to pause, rewind and record as well as giving access to Netflix and Youtube as well.

Although a slighter more expensive option, this gives you access to over 200 channels.

Don't forget, whichever TV package you watch, you will need a TV licence, which currently costs £145.50 annually.

A QUICK LOOK AT SOME OF THE BEST-VALUE TV PACKAGES
Household's top priority	Package	Cost per month	Contract length	Total cost (excl line rental)	Total cost (incl line rental)
Family viewing	TalkTalk Plus TV + Entertainment Extra Boost (ADSL)	£15 (entertainment boost currently half price at £5)	18 months	£270	£588.60
Sports	TV starter pack + Unlimited BT Infinty1 + weekend calls +Sky Sports + BT sports (Fibre)	£34.50 for 12 months £17.99 line rental	12 months	£414	£629.88
Good-value multimedia bundle	BT Unlimited Broadband & TV Starter Package & Calls + BT Sport SD (ADSL)	£7.50	12 months	£90	£305.88
All the trimmings	Virgin Media Big Kahuna Bundle + Sky Sports + Sky Movies + BT Sport (Fibre)	£46.25 (first 9 months), £90 thereafter	18 months	£1,226.25	£1,550.07
Flexibility	Netflix	£5.99	Rolling	£5.99	-
Source: uSwitch, correct as of December 10 2015.

Jennifer Elworthy, a spokesperson for Freesat, said: ‘Households are spending a fortune on TV packages and paying for hundreds of programmes they’ll never watch.

‘Most of the country’s favourite shows are available with Freesat’s Freetime box, and even for sports fans, major sporting events can be enjoyed free to air.

'What’s more, our research shows that football fans could spend less actually going to the games. Many people get locked into costly TV deals without realising the choice out there.'

TOP TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID OVERPAYING

Happy with your TV package? 56 per cent of families don't believe their contract offers value for money

Price comparison site uSwitch has come up with some top tips on how to make sure you are not overpaying for your TV package.

1. Before you start comparing packages and prices, make a list of what your household watches. You can then hunt for the right deal to suit your individual requirements without getting sucked in to any eye-catching deals.

2. If flexibility is important then consider a streaming service such as Netflix or Amazon Prime Instant video. Some offer monthly rolling contracts so you can stop and start at any time.

3. Don't be loyal. The best deals are often for new customers and signing up to a new contract can also come with other perks such as cashback, vouchers or freebies. You may also find that threatening to leave encourages your existing provider to offer you a better deal.

4. Look at bundling your landline, broadband and TV package together to make some of the biggest savings.

5. Make sure you regularly review your bill so you can manage your spending and don’t lose track of any upgrades or add-ons to your account.

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