Beware the BT price hike

The idea was to run this tip on 1 April but that would make it look like a poor April Fool - and this is no joke. From 1 April BT is putting up the price of weekday evening telephone calls by around 2000%.

The cost of a one-hour call is rising from 4.5p to 90p.

Of course BT is putting a positive spin on this rip off. BT is selling the change as a 'Get free UK weekend calls,' which is great unless you use BT in the week.

If you are on BT's Option One tariff and make calls in the evenings, which currently cost just 4.5p an hour then you need to weigh up your options to avoid your bills rocketing. If you keep paying the BT line rental you can easily make cheaper calls using one or more other providers. I use these:

http://www.1899.com/

http://www.18185.co.uk/index2.php

http://www.alphatelecom.co.uk/uk/default.aspx

Or for a cheaper all-round alternative use our

Phone finder service from uSwitch

Archive: how we broke the story of the BT stealth rise

Comments

[Mark W]

As you say, we are automatically giving all Unlimited Weekend Plan (previously BT Together Option 1) customers free weekend calls. What you don't mention is that customers can also get their weekday evening calls free simply by signing a 12-month contract which will then operate on a renewable basis. This means they will enjoy free weekend and evening calls as long as they stay with BT. Go to bt.com and search for "Unlimited Evening & Weekend Plan" for more details.

Mark W@BT

[PAUL HOGG]

I have looked all over the BT pricelist and can not find any mention of your quote "one-hour call is rising from 4.5p to 90p" can you confirm your story and let me know where on BT's web site I can find these changes.

Thanks
Hoggie

[Costas Kariolis]

These huge price hikes will surely come as a bombshell to customers of BT when they receive their next bills.

It must be particularly annoying for those BT customers who only want the broadband service. They have to pay for the phone line BT should not be allowed to impose big price rises on people who do not even want to use their phone service but only have broadband access. Why should people be stopped from taking advantage of great phone deals offered by internet phone companies like Vonage?

Ofcom should now look at why BT is allowed to insist that customers pay for a phone line rental that they do not actually want.