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About our expert
Do you have a question about your home phone calling plan or landline? Contact Simon Piper, our home phone expert, at OurExpert@homephonechoices.co.uk
Ask Our Expert
Who supplies my home phone?
Dear Simon, I have just moved into a new house but don’t know which supplier provides the phone line at the property. How do I find out who supplies my home phone service? Will I automatically be put into a contract with the supplier?
I look forward to your reply,
Chelsea Parker, Wolverhampton, via email Tuesday 14 April, 2009
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Our expert says...
Hi Chelsea, I know how confusing the whole process can be, especially when you’ve just moved into a new house. Here’s some information and advice on finding out who supplies your landline:
Who is my home phone supplier?
The first thing you’ll need to do is ring BT (www.bt.com) on 0800 028 4474. They will be able to tell you which company owns the line and which company supplies the calls in your new house – it could be two different providers or just one. BT will also tell you the phone number of the line if you don’t already know it.
Once you know who is supplying the service, you need check that the account of the previous tenant or owner has been cancelled.
Next, compare home phone deals to find a call plan and supplier that suits you. You will have to sign up to at least a 12-month contract, so it is worth shopping around to find the best deal. If you make a lot of phone calls look for special introductory deals and packages that offer unlimited anytime calls.
Reconnecting a phone line
If the phone line in your new home isn’t active, you will need to get it reconnected. There may be a charge for this, depending on the supplier. You can get the line reconnected by calling BT on 0800 028 4474.
If your home has had telephone service from BT in the recent past, and the wiring and socket isn’t damaged and the line still has dialling tone, it’s likely you will be able to rejoin BT for a reduced cost.
However, as above, when you rejoin BT or another supplier you will enter a new 12-month contract with the company, so make sure you compare home phone prices before agreeing to anything – you may find that while another provider has a connection fee for activating your line, its call packages could be cheaper so you’ll save money in the long-term.
Installing a phone line
If your new house doesn’t have a phone line you will need to have one installed. This doesn’t necessarily have to be done by BT, and you may find that if you are going to take a calls package from another supplier, it may offer to install the new line for an amount slightly less than BT. If you want to get your line installed by BT then call 0800 028 4474.
Phone line installation prices do vary, and are typically between £100-£130. BT currently charges £122.50, and Madasafish charges £115, these prices are subject to the amount of work that needs to be done by the phone engineers though, so the charge could be less.
As with reconnecting a line, while phone line installation may be a bit cheaper with another supplier, in the long run the company’s call plans may work out more expensive. You should compare home phone prices and calculate how much it’ll cost you over the 12-month contract before signing up to a new package.
Hope this gives you a bit more information and helps you find out who supplies the phone service in your new home Chelsea!
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If you have a general switching or provider query please email us at ourexpert@homephonechoices.co.uk
Comments
Thank You - Jul 3 2010 2:57PM
Dial 150 - it should connect you to customer support for your supplier. Some suppliers don't implement this. Thanks to Virgin Media for this tip.
Call BT on 0800 028 4474. Choose "come back to BT" and sign up to take over the line. Write down the order number - you then have 14 days to cancel. As part of the process, the current supplier will write to your property. Look for a letter with a telephone provider's logo. Call their sales team and tell them you want to take over the line. In my case, they were happy to sign me up in less than 14 days. They also let me keep the phone number which BT would not do.
Either way, you don't get to go with your preferred supplier.
- Jun 19 2010 11:34AM
how amazing is that. cheap as chips - Jun 8 2010 7:38PM
my adress is 5 symonjs street m7 4aw - Apr 30 2010 3:16PM
Colin 7 Dec 2009 - Dec 7 2009 5:48PM
They did offer to change me to BT, though. - Nov 1 2009 4:22PM