Virgin Media email user? Your free email address will stop working unless you pay – here's what you need to know

The communications giant stopped offering free email accounts to new customers in 2022, and it's now withdrawing the service entirely.

The impacted addresses include: @virginmedia.com, @ntlworld.com, @blueyonder.co.uk and @virgin.net.

You'll get 45 days' notice before your account is suspended

Virgin told us it started sending emails to affected users in September to let them know their account would be closing. After you get this email, you'll have 45 days to decide whether you want to move to Junara.

If you don't act within those 45 days, your email access will be suspended. You'll then get another 120 days where your email account and its data "can be recovered if necessary". Virgin told us you'll need to contact its customer services to do this.

After the total 165 days, provided you haven't moved to Junara, your email account will be permanently closed and all associated data will be deleted. 

Want to keep your email? You'll need to pay – but Virgin has refused to say how much

Both Virgin Media and Junara have refused to tell us how much the new email services will cost going forward, but here's what we know:

• Current Virgin Media broadband, landline or TV customer? You'll get 12 months for 99p. If you've previously told Virgin Media you require extra support (due to a disability, for example), Virgin says you'll be offered 18 months for 99p instead.
  
  This is effectively a trial period, after which the cost will jump massively – we've seen users report prices ranging from £59 a year to £99 a year for each mailbox. So if you do decide to go for it, you may want to think about moving to a free provider during your trial.

• Not a current Virgin Media customer? You WON'T get a trial offer. You'll need to pay the higher annual fee to keep your account. Again, based on reports we've seen, this could be as much as £99 a year.

'I'm livid – I just signed up to a two-year contract'

We've seen dozens of complaints from users who aren't happy with the transfer. Here are just a few examples:

Don't want to pay for your email account? Get a free one

Whether you're a current or former Virgin Media customer, it's a good idea to set up an independent email address that's completely separate from your broadband provider – that way you're not locked in.

There are lots of free email providers to choose from including Google's Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Apple Mail or Yahoo Mail.

Virgin Media should send you instructions on how to switch, but here are two key points to remember: 

• Save anything important. Once your Virgin Media account is closed for good after the end of the 165 day period, it won't be possible to recover anything.
  
  One option is simply to forward important emails to your new address. Alternatively, some email apps such as Microsoft Outlook have built-in tools for saving or exporting data in bulk.

• Make sure to update associated banking, utility, shopping, streaming and other accounts. You'll need to update any associated accounts with your new email address.