Money expert Grace Forell has explained how thousands of people could get a television licence refund of up to £180.
The consumer reporter appeared on This Morning to discuss the circumstances under which viewers could be due money back.
Forell said people need a licence if they watch TV or if they stream live broadcasts like football matches on platforms like YouTube or Amazon Prime.
Viewers also need one if they are watching BBC iPlayer, regardless of the device they watch it on. However, if their circumstances change, they can apply for a refund for the unused months.
“You need a TV license if you’re planning to watch any kind of live TV on any channel. And this actually includes live broadcasts on platforms like YouTube or Amazon Prime if it’s being shown on TV,” she explained.
“You also need it for BBC iPlayer, even if it’s on demand on a laptop or a phone. You don’t need one if you’re only watching platforms like Netflix or Disney Plus or regular YouTube content. But it’s £180 a year. One license should be enough for the whole household as long as you’re on a joint tenancy agreement.”
Forell went on: ”Not many people know this, but you can get a refund if there are months that you don’t use. So, if you buy a licence and then, you know, move back home nine months later, you can fill out a form on the TV licence website for that.
“Say you move into university halls and buy a licence, but then move back home 9 months later, as long as your family home has a suitable licence you can cancel yours and get money back.
“Or if you move in with your partner and they have a licence, you can request a refund for yours before you move. You just need to have at least one complete month remaining on your license.”
Forell then recommended streaming platforms that offer special discounts for university students.
She said: “Prime Student is a very good one. So, that’s Amazon Prime. You get six months for free. And then it’s only £4.49 £49 a month and that includes Prime Delivery, Amazon music and all of that.
“So, that’s very good. I would look at Spotify as well because the student version is less than half the price of the standard version and a lot of students watch YouTube and they do have their own offer as well.”
In January, it was reported that the BBC is working on ways to use iPlayer to find households that have not paid for a TV licence.
Up to 40 million online BBC accounts could be linked with home addresses for the first time to help find households that are accessing the streaming service without a licence.
Anyone wishing to access BBC television and radio programmes on iPlayer must provide an email address, date of birth and postcode.
It is understood the BBC is now working on ways to use this data to identify where TV licences have not been purchased.
The BBC has a duty to collect the licence fee, and sends targeted letters or emails to those it believes are not paying it and should be.
There are concessions available for people who are aged 75 or older and receive pension credit, blind people, those who live in qualifying residential care and are disabled or over 60, and businesses that provide overnight accommodation.
