How to stop paying for my TV licence

[caravantulips]

I like the BBC and have never really begrudged my monthly direct debit but seeing the news that the licence fee is £180 this year it’s made me question it’s value as it’s only me who watches it.

I never watch BBC live (except for the news back in Covid times) but use iPlayer a lot. Should I just cancel the direct debit and delete the iPlayer app from my TV? Is this enough?

I do have the BBC news app on my phone and it’s my sole choice for news as it’s (supposed to be!!) impartial. Do you know if I can still use this? What about the videos on the BBC news channel?

I haven't RTFT but you do actually need a licence to watch iplayer, and have since 2016, prior to that you didn't. Some of you are seriously behind the times!

Im not sure what boots and stealling mascara has to do either your argument 🤔

Do you think it’s free to create radio programmes or podcasts?

It’s a loophole currently that they can’t stop people who haven’t paid from listening to BBC radio but it’s very naive to believe it doesn’t need paying for somehow.

If the BBC didn’t make the programmes in the first place they couldn’t sell them to Netflix and other broadcasters.

It's still free though
I have no interest in it however I only ever listen to radio in the car and thats usually a rock station .

Watching live TV on any channel or using BBC iPlayer without a valid licence is a criminal offence in the UK, resulting in a maximum fine of
£1,000 plus potential legal costs and compensation. The fine can be up to £2,000 in Guernsey. Non-payment of court-ordered fines can eventually lead to custodial sentences.
Key Details on TV Licensing Fines:

• The Fine Amount: The maximum penalty is £1,000, which is issued by magistrates' courts, not directly by TV Licensing.
• What Constitutes an Offence: A licence is required for watching live TV on anychannel (ITV, Sky, etc.), as well as for watching or downloading any content on BBC iPlayer.
• Devices Covered: This applies to all devices, including televisions, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, and games consoles.
• Consequences of Non-Payment: If a court-imposed fine is not paid, legal action can include bailiffs, attachment of earnings, or, as a last resort, prison.
• Licence Cost: A standard colour TV Licence costs £174.50 per year (as of 2025/2026).

It is important to note that you do not need a licence if you only watch streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, or YouTube (unless watching live TV on them). If you have declared you do not need a licence but are found to be using BBC iPlayer, you risk prosecution.

Then why have they had Farage on frequently over the years and why didn’t the Tories try and remove the licence fee (given they have been in power for the majority of the last few decades)?

I think Dorries did want to get rid of it but it wasn't in the Tory manifesto anyway as far as I know, it was in Reforms 2024 one. We have Nandy anyway deciding the fate of the TV licence so we know what that will be, likely no change. or pay more.

No, you just can't access it if you don't 🤷

I've never understood the vitriol over the TV licence given the extortionate amount that sky charge (and ok you get a shed load of channels but some if them are pants)

a commercial radio station, generates income by selling ad slots to businesses. They also secure revenue through branded content, such as sponsoring weather or travel updates. Revenue is generated through "premium-rate" phone lines and text messages used for listener competitions,

So sad that people have been conditioned to equate the BBC with Netflix or any other subscription service, so that they think 'Well, I pay £15 to Netflix and watch that, so why should I pay the same to the BBC when I don't?'

The answer is because the BBC is so much more than a Netflix or a Disney+. For one thing its range is what makes it so special (TV, radio, podcasts, regional and local content) but obviously by definition that means most of it is irrelevant to most people. We have come to see this as a bad thing but it is a good thing. I don't care about the regional news in anywhere except my region, or programmes about stuff I am not interested in. But lots of other people do and they wouldn't be made if not for everyone's contribution

The BBC is a unifying national broadcaster. It served no commercial master, and to those who say it's biased one way or another I advise comparing it to those news outlets not governed by (or willing to ignore) OFCOM.

I would pay double the licence fee if they asked me, despite using very little BBC output myself. It's not just about me.

There are always people who try to justify theft. The people who steal by 'secretly' listening and watching BBC and terrestrial tv are no different to the posters on here who think it is ok to steal a lipstick or mascara from Boots. The manager of our local Boots told me about the outrage from thieves caught shoplifting. As another poster put it up thread, there are a lot of 'scummy thieves' who try hard to defend theft.

And many people think the BBC is pants

I know, and similarly to TV advertising there’s only so much revenue to keep commercial stations afloat in the UK.

If BBC radio started taking advertising it would push commercial stations out of business.

It’d be unlikely to be approved in a new charter because the government wouldn’t want to damage the industry.

Well that's fine but alot people don't agree and that's also fine
Its not illegal not to have a licence fee

It’s also not as simple as it coming down purely to whoever is the minister for DCMS at the time of a new charter, it has to be approved through parliament and ultimately it’s a royal charter so it would be very difficult for any government to scrap it entirely, even Reform.

I do pay mine and no plans to stop
but what do they actually do if you don’t pay? I know they threaten to come round etc but do they actually ever take any enforcement action? I bet loads of people don’t pay, still watch tv and don’t give a shit, and have had no negative consequences

Of course. Not illegal. But it's sad that when discussing whether or not to pay for the licence fee the conversation is always about the cost v personal benefit rather than about wider societal benefits.

And many people can't afford anything else.

It's because people feel forced to have a licence, I have to have one because I choose to have Sky Q, If it was subscription I could choose to easily dip in and out like I choose to have all the streaming subscriptions. If I choose not to have a licence l seemingly have to tell them and receive threatening junk mail from them. I would probably subscribe anyway but it would be my free choice.

@x2boys
Do you think CBeebies is pants? Do you think Bitsize is pants? Do you think schools should stop showing Numberblocks to introduce/reinforce Maths lessons?
Should Bitesize be restricted to children of parents who pay the licence fee?
If the BBC becomes subscription only, it will penalise the same group of children who are already neglected educationally.

@Teasandcoffees channel 4, itvx, my5, Pluto, Tubi, STV, U, and probably lots more are all free to stream, some streamers like Amazon and Discovery + also have free content

£3.8 billion raised by licence fee for BBC

£5.9 billion total income for BBC form all revenues

BBC don't need to advertise when they have £2bn in revenue from other sources than the government licence fee

@MikeRafone they are not strapped for cash, they are just excellent at frittering OPM

Yet the way posters write, you'd think BBC was on its bare bones. Some of us just don't want to remain or join the club

People genuinely defending the BBC is wild to me.