BT is imposing its fourth price rise in less than two years, with line rental, daytime calls and evening calls all affected.
From December 3 line rental costs will go up from £13.90 a month to £14.60, which will mean an extra £8.40 a year.
The cost of daytime calls will go up from 7.6p a minute to 7.95p, while evening calls will rise from 1p a minute to 1.05p.
The only positive news is that calls to mobiles and broadband bundles will stay the same and, after December’s rises, BT is freezing prices until 2013.
Michael Phillips, of Homephone choices.co.uk, said: “While BT’s price increases may be in line with inflation, they will prove very unpopular with households already feeling the pinch.
“This marks the tenth price rise from a major provider this year alone and it is inevitable that others will add to this total.” Yet there are things you can do to keep home phone bills down. First, you can check what other deals are available by using price comparison sites.
Don’t overlook the smaller, niche providers as these often provide the best deals.
For example, Primus offers the cheapest standalone line rental, starting at just £6.79 per month. The deal, available through Home phonechoices.co.uk, doesn’t include calls so would suit those who use their phones infrequently.
Daytime calls cost 6p a minute, evening and weekend calls 1p a minute and there’s a call connection charge of 11p, compared with 13.1p with BT after December’s rise.
Heavier users may want to consider Primus’s £7.99-a-month Home Saver which includes evening and weekend calls.
For customers who want to stay with BT but still reduce their bills, the Line Rental Saver tariff offers savings of more than £55 against the increased prices provided the yearly cost of £120 is paid up front.
Another way to make savings is to bundle broadband, phone and TV services together. Packages start from under £20 a month excluding line rental.
BT’s basic Essential TV package, which has 70 channels, broadband and free UK landline calls, costs just £4 for the first four months and £17 thereafter, plus £13.90 line rental (which will rise to £14.60). There’s a £30 set-up cost.
Virgin Media offers a similar TV service with the added attraction of fast fibre-optic broadband, although it offers free calls only at the weekend. This £20-a-month deal has a £49.95 set-up fee plus £13.90 line rental, which Virgin has no plans as yet to increase.
Michael Phillips said: “More people are waking up to the benefits of shopping around, yet more than half of home phone customers haven’t switched providers at all in the past five years.”
Case Study
'Glad I switched before the rises'
After years with BT Stacey Henty, top, has finally taken the plunge and switched to a home phone and broadband bundle from O2.
Stacey found the offer by phoning up the comparison service Simplifydigital.co.uk
“I was looking at my outgoings and my BT bills seemed expensive for just a landline and a few calls,” said exams officer Stacey, 40. “I seemed to be paying more than £40 every three months, and that didn’t even include the internet.
“I did a bit of research and found a bundled O2 home phone and broadband deal. It’s costing me just £10 a month for the first six months as I was an existing O2 mobile customer and got six months’ free unlimited broadband.”
The deal, which comes with free weekend and evening calls, goes up to £22.50 a month after the introductory offer.
Stacey, from Hove, East Sussex, added: “Even when the cost goes up the package is still cheaper than lots of the other home phone and internet deals I looked at.
“I think it was high time for a change and I’m glad I’ve moved before the latest price increases come into effect.”
The only positive news is that calls to mobiles and broadband bundles will stay the same and, after December’s rises, BT is freezing prices until 2013.
Michael Phillips, of Homephone choices.co.uk, said: “While BT’s price increases may be in line with inflation, they will prove very unpopular with households already feeling the pinch.
“This marks the tenth price rise from a major provider this year alone and it is inevitable that others will add to this total.” Yet there are things you can do to keep home phone bills down. First, you can check what other deals are available by using price comparison sites.
Don’t overlook the smaller, niche providers as these often provide the best deals.
For example, Primus offers the cheapest standalone line rental, starting at just £6.79 per month. The deal, available through Home phonechoices.co.uk, doesn’t include calls so would suit those who use their phones infrequently.
Daytime calls cost 6p a minute, evening and weekend calls 1p a minute and there’s a call connection charge of 11p, compared with 13.1p with BT after December’s rise.
Heavier users may want to consider Primus’s £7.99-a-month Home Saver which includes evening and weekend calls.
For customers who want to stay with BT but still reduce their bills, the Line Rental Saver tariff offers savings of more than £55 against the increased prices provided the yearly cost of £120 is paid up front.
Another way to make savings is to bundle broadband, phone and TV services together. Packages start from under £20 a month excluding line rental.
BT’s basic Essential TV package, which has 70 channels, broadband and free UK landline calls, costs just £4 for the first four months and £17 thereafter, plus £13.90 line rental (which will rise to £14.60). There’s a £30 set-up cost.
Virgin Media offers a similar TV service with the added attraction of fast fibre-optic broadband, although it offers free calls only at the weekend. This £20-a-month deal has a £49.95 set-up fee plus £13.90 line rental, which Virgin has no plans as yet to increase.
Michael Phillips said: “More people are waking up to the benefits of shopping around, yet more than half of home phone customers haven’t switched providers at all in the past five years.”
Case Study
'Glad I switched before the rises'
After years with BT Stacey Henty, top, has finally taken the plunge and switched to a home phone and broadband bundle from O2.
Stacey found the offer by phoning up the comparison service Simplifydigital.co.uk
“I was looking at my outgoings and my BT bills seemed expensive for just a landline and a few calls,” said exams officer Stacey, 40. “I seemed to be paying more than £40 every three months, and that didn’t even include the internet.
“I did a bit of research and found a bundled O2 home phone and broadband deal. It’s costing me just £10 a month for the first six months as I was an existing O2 mobile customer and got six months’ free unlimited broadband.”
The deal, which comes with free weekend and evening calls, goes up to £22.50 a month after the introductory offer.
Stacey, from Hove, East Sussex, added: “Even when the cost goes up the package is still cheaper than lots of the other home phone and internet deals I looked at.
“I think it was high time for a change and I’m glad I’ve moved before the latest price increases come into effect.”
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