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Can I get a second phone line installed?

Dear Simon, I’d like to get a second line into my house, what’s the most cost-effective way of adding one?

Keith White, Leicestershire, via email, Updated: Tuesday 2 March, 2010

Our expert says...

Hi Keith, getting a second line installed for your new business is a great idea - and it’s a really simple process. Below is some information to help you choose a supplier to install your second line as well as details of the cost of line installation.

FREE BT phone line installation with any BT package

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Up to 20Mb broadband plus wireless BT Home Hub
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Which type of phone line should I choose?

If you need to get a second line installed (maybe because you work from home or there are a lot of people in your household), there are a number of home phone suppliers who offer second phone lines.

You can choose either a BT copper ADSL line, from a provider such as BT (www.bt.com), TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk), Primus Saver and Direct Save Telecom (www.directsavetelecom.co.uk). Or you could choose a cable phone line from Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com). It’s important to note however that Virgin Media’s cable services are only available in selected areas. To find out if cable services are available in your area, please do a postcode search using our online phone line checker.

Second phone line installation charges

Getting a second phone line installed isn’t free, though the amount you’ll have to pay will depend on the provider. Some providers also offer discounts on getting a second line installed, if you already have a line with them.

Below is a breakdown of the costs from each of the suppliers:

Home phone supplier	Home phone supplier details	Second line installation cost
BT	www.bt.com	Now £0 with BT packages (£127.99 with phone-only packages)
Direct Save Telecom	www.directsavetelecom.co.uk	£79.95
Hive Telecom	Hive Telecom review	£115
Post Office	www.postoffice.co.uk	£110
Primus Saver	Primus review	£69 - Ring 0800 036 0170 for more information
Sky	www.sky.com	£100 (though not available to customers who have their first phone line with Sky)
TalkTalk	www.talktalk.co.uk	£69.99 (offers may be available for existing TalkTalk customers, ring 0800 049 7834 for more information)
24Talk	24Talk review	£124.99

You can also get a second line installed by Virgin Media if you live in a cable area. This costs £35, however there are no specific discounts for customers already with the home phone, broadband and TV giant. And if you already have a line installed by BT, there’s no reason why you can’t have a phone line and a broadband connection from Virgin Media as well - and with broadband speeds of up to 50Mb, this could suit you.

Package Name	Monthly Package Cost	Monthly Line Rental
Talk: M + Virgin TV: M+	£5.50	£11.99
Talk Evenings & Weekends: L	£3.45	£11.99
Talk Unlimited: XL	£7.95	£11.99

Using an internet phone service

Some households may find it cheaper to use their existing broadband connection to make calls, rather than getting a second phone line installed. Using an internet phone service like Vonage (www.vonage.co.uk) or Skype to make and receive calls will help cut your costs as you won’t have to pay line rental or an installation charge for a second phone line. This kind of service is more commonly known as VoIP.

There are numerous VoIP providers, with many offering free calls to numbers using the same service, as well as cheap international calls.

Alternatively, you could take advantage of BT Broadband Talk, which allows you to make internet calls through a BT broadband connection with no extra line rental or installation charge. There is a charge for daytime calls however, unless you pay a subscription.

I hope this gives you a better idea of what’s available when it comes to getting a second line installed Keith. Don’t forget to do a postcode search of what’s available in your area before signing up to any packages.