How much do calls to 0870 and 0845 numbers cost?

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Our expert says...

Hi Luke, thanks for your email to Homephonechoices.co.uk. about calls to 0870 and 0845 numbers - I know that calls to these numbers can be pretty expensive.

Some home phone providers, such as BT (www.bt.com) and TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk) offer inclusive free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers, while other providers charge these numbers at a premium rate.

Using our home phone price comparison service and the postcode you supplied, I have done some research into which home phone suppliers are available to you that offer free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers…

Packages that include free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers

Calls to 0870 numbers can be as much as 10p a minute with some providers, and calls to 0845 numbers can be even more. So if you make a lot of calls to these numbers, you’ll want to get a package that includes them free within its inclusive minutes.

The table below shows five home phone providers and the rates they charge for calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers made during the day, in the evening and at the weekend:

All the packages mentioned above are unlimited evening and weekend calls deals, so therefore the ones that include free calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers are only free in the evening and at the weekend. If you sign-up to an unlimited anytime call plan, calls to 0870 and 0845 numbers will be free anytime of the day.

Unfortunately calls to other numbers, such as 0843, 0844, 0871 and 0872 are not included in the free minutes, and can still cost as much as 10p a minute. So, be vigilant when you are making calls to customer service lines in particular.

BT calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers

If you’re on a BT call plan, calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers are included in your free calls. So calls to these premium numbers will be free at the weekend for customers on the Unlimited Weekend Plan, free at the weekend and in the evenings if you sign-up to the Unlimited Evening and Weekend Plan, and free at any time of the day with the Unlimited Anytime Plan.

However, customers should remember that a fair usage policy applies to this offer; you can make 1000 minutes of calls a month, or 150 calls a month - whichever comes first.

If you exceed this fair usage policy you’ll receive an SMS to your landline, informing you that you’ve gone over the amount of free calls you’re entitled to and will be charged at BT’s standard rates for any further calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers.

If you make calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers outside of your inclusive minutes, these will be charged at the rate of 1.96p a minute, plus the standard call set up fee of 9.3p.

Avoiding calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers

If you’re about to make a call to a premium number that starts with 0870 or 0845 and it’s not included within your free calls, it is worth checking the website www.saynoto0870.co.uk. This website lists a whole load of numbers for companies such as British Gas, E.ON and Sony that are charged at local or national rates, meaning you’ll never have to pay an expensive call to an 0870 or 0845 number again.

Hope this helps you choose a new home phone provider Luke, and helps you save money on your landline bills.

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If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at ourexpert@homephonechoices.co.uk

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