AMAZON Fire Stick owners could face a nasty £1,000 fine for not having a TV licence.
The rules dictate that any device or service used to watch live broadcasts requires a UK TV licence.
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To access anything on BBC iPlayer you need a TV license Credit: Alamy
You also need it if you use BBC iPlayer whether it’s live or not.
In the digital age of streaming, some households are confused about whether they need a TV license or not.
But with any device — not just Amazon Fire Sticks — it really depends on how you use the apps.
On the other hand, some households may have a TV license when they can remove it if they do not watch live TV or access BBC iPlayer.
Read more about Fire Sticks
One person on Reddit explained how they were asked about any streaming gadgets.
“At the door the guy introduced himself and I immediately jumped in to say we didn’t have a license because we were watching Netflix and not live TV,” they said.
“I answered his questions to say we don’t have an aerial, we definitely don’t have one connected to the TV and we don’t watch live TV and I said “no thank you” when he asked to come in and watch the TV.
“Before leaving he asked me if I had a firestick because they “can” watch live TV, at that moment the dogs came in so I just closed the door and he left.”
How much does a TV license cost?
A TV license is currently £159 for standard color per year.
A discounted black and white license is still available and costs £53.50.
But the main TV license fee rises by £10.50 from April 2024.
It will be the first fee increase since April 2021.
The new price will be £169.50.
TV license rules for streaming
The TV Licensing website states that live TV means “any program you watch or record while it is being shown on any channel, TV service or streaming service”.
And that doesn’t just mean live events like football, cricket, news and music, but anything as it’s broadcast.
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TV Licensing says a network TV service is “any streaming or smart TV service, website or application that allows you to watch TV programs over the internet”.
So this can include services like Channel 4, Sky Go, Now, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube and ITVX IF you watch live content on them.
If you only use them to watch content on demand, you don’t need a TV licence.
Those caught and found guilty of watching live TV without a TV license can face a maximum fine of up to £1,000.
How to lower your streaming bills with top FREE TV
Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime aren’t cheap – and subscription costs seem to be rising every year.
Fortunately, there are tons of free streaming TV alternatives that not everyone knows about.
Here are some free alternatives worth trying:
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: HIS Education