Moving home with Virgin Media
Claire Nottage | June 12th, 2023
Moving house can be a stressful undertaking, but taking your broadband service with you needn’t be a problem if you are prepared. In most cases, Virgin Media broadband and TV customers can arrange the transfer of their services from their old address to their new address with the minimum fuss.
In this guide we look at what you need to do in order to get your Virgin Media service installed at your new property in time for your arrival, as well as the options available if Virgin is not operating in your new area, or if you have decided it is time for a change of provider.
Keeping your current Virgin Media broadband package
The Virgin Media network is not as widespread as the Openreach network that is used by almost all other providers, so if you want to keep your existing package then you need to check whether Virgin Media is available at your new address. You can do this easily on Virgin’s website by using the postcode checker.
If it is available, then you need to inform Virgin that you are moving as soon as possible in order to get your installation date fixed. You can get in touch either by calling on 0345 454 1111 or by sending a message via the online chat service. You will need to provide your new address, the date in which you expect to move in, and the date on which you will be leaving your current property.
When you move, if you are keeping the same services, you should take all your Virgin equipment with you, including your router and your TV box (if you have one). If your new property has had Virgin Media previously, then you can then easily self-install your broadband without the need for an engineer visit. If Virgin Media cabling exists in the area but the property has not been connected previously, then you will need an engineer to come and do the work necessary to get you online.
A standard service transfer fee of £20 is charged if you take your Virgin Media service with you to your new address, and your monthly charges will stay the same. A final bill will be sent to cover charges at your old property up to the date of disconnection and a new bill will be sent to your new property, including one month’s payment in advance. If you decide to take out a new contract, there is a £35 charge.
Upgrading or changing your Virgin Media broadband deal
If you want to make any changes to your existing Virgin Media package, it is important to know where you are in your contract term. If you have passed the initial contract period, then you are free to make any changes. If you are still mid-contract, you will be able to upgrade your existing package, but not downgrade it to a cheaper option. Bear in mind that if you do make any changes to your existing package, this will trigger the start of a new minimum contract period.
Upgrade your download speed
Virgin Media offers several download speeds and you might want to add a bit extra to your existing package by going for an upgrade. Over 1Gbps is now available in the form of the ultrafast Gig1 broadband in all Virgin Media enabled areas; so if you can get Virgin Media, you can get those incredible speeds of around 1130Mbps.
Upgrading or adding Virgin TV
Virgin Media’s TV offering is excellent and you might be considering either adding it to your broadband or upgrading your existing TV package. The new Virgin TV 360 box offers voice control and is 4K-ready so you can enjoy Sky Cinema, Sky Sports or your favourite TV shows on Netflix in UHD. Be aware that any changes you make to your existing package will require a new contract.
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Moving home and leaving Virgin Media
Whether you have decided to take the opportunity of moving house to switch to another broadband provider in order to save some money, or whether you wanted to keep Virgin but it is unfortunately not available at your new address, then there are plenty of other providers to choose from.
If Virgin Media is not available at your new address
If you find that it is not available at your new property, then you will need to let Virgin Media know that you are leaving as soon as possible. Happily, even if you are not at the end of your contract, you will not have to pay Early Disconnection Fees if Virgin is not available at your new address.
If you are mostly concerned about getting a package with a fast download speed, then as long as Openreach’s full fibre broadband is available at your new address, there are several providers whose offering should fit the bill. BT, TalkTalk, Vodafone, Sky and EE can provide speeds up to 900Mbps in some areas. However, even a standard fibre download speed of around 65Mbps is more than capable of supporting several devices and ensuring a smooth connection, so don’t panic if you can’t get ultrafast at your new address yet.
If you currently have a TV and broadband package from Virgin and would like a comparable package, then either Sky or BT would be a good bet. Alternatively, you might want to consider signing up to the flexible NOW TV instead and just sign up to a fibre broadband package.
If Virgin Media is available, but you want to switch broadband
It may be that you have decided to leave Virgin Media and look for a cheaper package. If this is the case, then as long as Openreach is available at your new address, you can easily find an alternative deal. Get in touch with Virgin as soon as possible to inform them of your intention to leave and bear in mind that if you have not reached the end of your initial contract term, you will have to pay Early Disconnection Fees to cover the remains of your contract.
Before you commit to leaving Virgin, it’s worth checking to see what other deals are available in your new area. You can use our online broadband comparison tool to help you quickly narrow down the options and find a deal that suits.