Home phone Guides

Cutting the cost of your line rental

By Becca Talbot - becca.talbot@consumerchoices.co.uk

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The price of line rental in the UK is rising, but if you want to keep your bills low, consider switching. It’s quick, easy, and hassle-free (Updated 07/01/10).

Wherever you live, there are different line rental options available for your home phone. If your household is one of the 73% of British homes that has never switched their fixed-line supplier*, then comparing home phone prices and line rental charges could save you money on your monthly bills.

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This guide will tell you everything you need to know about line rental charges, and the things you need to consider when choosing a new provider…

• Line rental charges
• Comparing line rental charges
• How do I switch my line rental?
• Anything else to consider?

Line rental charges

Nearly all of the UK’s home phone providers have raised their line rental charges on the 1st January 2010. BT (www.bt.com) increased its monthly line rental charge from £11.25 to £11.54, and rival TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk) has pushed its charge up from £11.25 to £11.49 at the end of 2009.

Also Plusnet (www.plus.net) has increased it's line rental to £11.25.

Like many of their competitors, both BT and TalkTalk line rental charges are quoted including discounts for paying by direct debit and signing up for paperless billing, letting you manage your account and pay your bills online.

BT charges an additional £1.50 per month if you don’t pay by direct debit; and a further £1.25 per month if you don’t sign up to paperless billing. TalkTalk only offers the option to pay by direct debit, and there is an extra £1.25 per month charge if you don’t sign up to paperless billing.

These additional charges need to be considered when you are looking to switch provider; while one provider may appear cheaper, the hidden charges could cancel out any savings you might make.

If you can’t, or don’t want to pay by direct debit, the Post Office (www.postoffice.co.uk) accepts payments by cash, cheque or credit/debit card, both over the phone and in branches, at no additional cost.

Comparing line rental charges

With all the price increases, now is the perfect time to compare line rental charges to see if you can find a cheaper deal.

You shouldn’t switch to a new home phone provider just because its line rental is cheaper, as the most you’ll save is about £3 a month. But if you switch to a provider with cheaper call prices as well, you could make huge savings. Check out our best buy tables below for an idea of who offers competitive packages.

Several providers offer free call charges - within a monthly package - if you sign a contract for their line rental. Primus Saver currently has the best deal at £9.15 a month which includes free local and national calls during the evenings and weekends. If you select the Home Phone Max package, this includes unlimited anytime calls to UK landlines for a monthly package cost of £2.89 (£10.99 a month line rental).

The table below compares line rental and evening and weekend call plans:

The table below compares line rental and anytime call plans:

Comparing line rental costs is easy using our home phone comparison service. Just enter your postcode into our calculator, so we can check home phone suppliers that are available in your area; then compare tariffs. You can then switch online to a new supplier, its that simple!

How do I switch my line rental?

Switching providers is:

• Quick
• Easy
• Hassle-free

You can switch online using our site in just a few minutes. All you’ll have to do give us a few details about who you are and the telephone number you want to switch, and we’ll manage your application to your new provider for you.

The whole switching process takes about 14 days, and in the majority of the cases you’ll be able to keep the same number. And don’t worry, you won’t be disconnected during the switching period.

Anything else to consider?

If you’re tied into a 12 or 18-month contract, you will probably be faced with exit fees if you want to switch. If this is the case you should weigh up the savings and the charges before switching – you may find that the savings don’t merit the switch.

With many providers, you can make further savings by taking advantage of bundled broadband and phone packages. For example, you may find that bundling your home phone and broadband with one provider could save you money, and reduce the number of bills you have to pay a month.

Also, consider payment meters. Customers that pay by direct debit and sign up to paperless billing will get the cheapest prices, so if you aren’t already paying in this way, contact your provider and see how much you could save.

* Ofcom: The Consumer Experience 2008

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