Home phone Guides

Phone and TV packages

Updated: Tuesday 17 January, 2012

By Anthony Hill - anthony.hill@consumerchoices.co.uk

You don’t just have to get a landline from your home phone supplier - increasingly these companies offer other products like digital TV too, helping you to save money with a bundled package.

One of the main advantages of signing up to a bundled package is the cost - if you buy two or more services from the same supplier, it can be cheaper. The other plus point is that you’ll be billed by fewer companies and so your household paperwork may take up less time.

It is important to be aware of the downsides of bundling too, however. For example, you may have to sign-up for a calls package that doesn’t quite suit your needs, or one that charges you more for calls made outside the package.

There is a lot on offer at the moment though, and you may find just the right deal with a calls package and the mix of TV channels you are looking for. Take a look at the table below for some of the best deals available at the moment:

Who offers phone and digital TV packages?

Several providers offer both home phone and digital TV services. These include:

• BT (www.bt.com)
• Virgin Media (www.virginmedia.com)
• Sky (www.sky.com)

Each company has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Sky has the widest range of TV channels, while Virgin Media offers the UK’s fastest internet speeds. In order to pick the best deal for you however, you need to consider what quality of service you want from each.

It’s important to remember that while BT offers home phone and TV through its BT Vision service, the service is only available if you’re a BT Total Broadband customer.

And, if you’re looking to get even more for your money, Virgin Media offers the ultimate bundled package. This includes your home phone, digital TV, broadband and mobile phone services for as little as £29.50 a month. This could mean significant savings if you aren’t already locked into a contract for any of these services.

Getting the right bundle for you

Before picking a package you must determine both the type of phone user you are, and the extent of the TV service you would like. It’s a good idea to look at what all the main suppliers have to offer and be careful not to be blinded by a low-cost short-term introductory deal. Before you know it you could be locked-in to a substantial monthly outgoing.

Use our home phone calculator to compare prices and see how much you can save on your bills.

There are also free digital TV services in the UK, such as Freeview and Freesat. These provide free access to many channels once you have a set-top box and installed an aerial or satellite dish, and may be perfect if you don’t want a subscription.

Bundling more services

You don’t just have to stop at bundling home phone and digital TV. You can add broadband too. And in the case of Virgin Media, your mobile phone service as well.

If you’re interested in including broadband in your package, visit Broadbandchoices.co.uk to compare deals.