RSS Feed

Related Articles

Related Categories

End of cheap home phone calls?

6th August 2010 Print

Ernest Doku, communications expert at uSwitch.com, says: "Where BT goes, competitors normally follow, so it was only a matter of time before another company made a move and announced an increase.

"This is the second round of price rises from TalkTalk this year alone - and may not be the last. In the past 12 months, customers have seen daytime call charges rise from 4.6p to 6.4p, and call set-up fee for chargeable calls rise from 9.25p to 10.9p. This is on top of a shift in off-peak hours from 6pm to 7pm and an imminent VAT increase that will inevitably push bills up further. As more people turn to mobile phones to stay in touch, home phone operators are looking for ways to maintain their income. It is more important than ever for consumers to shop around and find a home phone tariff that suits them and will keep costs down."

How will this affect consumers from 1st October?

Line rental rises from £11.49 to £12.04 per month
Daytime call rates rise from 5.8p to 6.4p per minute
Call set-up fee for chargeable calls rises 10% from 9.9p to 10.9p
Standard international rates will rise, depending on which country you are calling
Late payment charge rises from £7.50 to £10
The fee to move home and take the service with you rises from £29.99 to £49.99
‘Mobile Extra' subscribers will now pay £1.46 per month instead of 45p.