need to get cheap landline. help!

dianaross

Hi, I have no idea where to start.

I am getting divorced and am having to sort out my own bills now for the first time in 15 years (ex husb "controlled" everything so I was never allowed to be involved).

I work from home and need a landline and broadband, we have no option of cable as we live in a remote village, money is tight as I have 2 young children.

Can anyone tell me which is the cheapest option for me with line rental, calls and broadband. work will pay for my calls to customers, I will be paying for my own private calls.

I am trying to negotiate with my employers and get them to pay for line rental and broadband but its not easy as my boss is my ex-husband :eek:

utilitybroker

Do you have an existing landline that you wish to take over or are you starting completely from scratch? Have you already got a BT socket in the premises?

Have a look here to see what broadband you can get here http://www.samknows.com/broadband/search.php
from what you say the cheaper unbundled broadband package suppliers want serve your address.

Post Office Homephone should normally be available abnd they have an offer for Phone Line, lots of inclusive calls, and broadband see http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po/jump2;jsessionid=PCKA5QY4Q0Z2CFB2IGVFFHQUHRA0WQ2K?catId=68600711&mediaId=87500739
It may be subject to a connection charge depending on whether you already have line rental.

dianaross

thanks for your reply utilitybroker.

I have already got bt on the premises but I will be moving next year to a house where I will be starting form scratch.

ex is trying to convince me that he has found a great deal at £16.50 a month that gives me sky, calls and broadband. I don't need sky! I just need the cheapest line rental available. I have a fantastic mobile tariff which I won't be giving up and wouldn't really be using the landline for personal use, in fact it would be cheaper for me not to have a landline at all and just use my mobile but I have to have broadband for work, I'm frustrated that I have to pay line rental when I don't want it for personal use.

PlutoinCapricorn

Do you know how well mobile broadband works in your area? I use it for my work, and just have a very cheap PAYG mobile phone.

dianaross

No idea if mobile broadband would work, I need to find all these things out but don't know who to ask.

I have had a look on the links that utilitybroker posted and I think I am going to have to call all the providers that are on there and ask them?

If I have a bt line already do I have to pay bt line rental regardless of who supplies the broadband or can another provider use the bt line? would I then rent the line off the new provider?


have just been working through what I think my monthly outgoings are going to be and they are way more than I earn, am starting to have a mild panic attack...

PlutoinCapricorn

Is it a requirement of the job that you work at home? If so, surely the company should pay the additional costs.

If you post on the Internet thread, and are ready to say where you live, you can ask about mobile BB reception.

dianaross

I work from home as I have to fit the hours around school, (I have no family locally to help me so I am on my own) the office is nearly an hour drive away and I can't leave until 9am, back by 3.30 so I would lose 2 working hours a day in travel and the petrol cost would be more than the line rental.

I also work before and after school so its convenient and flexible for me to work from home I can also work in the school holidays without having to pay childcare.

As my ex is the MD of the company and I am working 2 (low paid!) jobs so that he doesn't have to support me I would like to think he would help me out a bit but it seems not so if I can cut costs even by a few £ a month that would be great.

I would have to think carefully before I post where I live as its a small village and I am thinking I would not be anonymous for very long.

PlutoinCapricorn

Best not to be too specific then! Post Office seems like a possible, there are so many providers and tariffs it is like a jungle.

So you elect to work at home. It may still be possible to get a flat rate allowance of £5 per week from HMRC for some expenses.

As you have the socket, perhaps a landline would be best for the moment, then you could keep the work separate and a line for talking to customers would be higher quality than a mobile.

Are these two jobs regular committments? If you were self employed, you could claim a lot as business expenses.

utilitybroker

dianaross wrote: »

If I have a bt line already do I have to pay bt line rental regardless of who supplies the broadband or can another provider use the bt line? would I then rent the line off the new provider?

You can have a BT line with a broadband supplier of your choice.

Or you can move your line rental and calls to another supplier who supplies the broadband where it becomes a BT compatible line,and you pay your bills to that supplier.

Or you can move your line rental and calls to another supplier and pay them ,where it becomes a BT compatible line,and then you can have your broadband supplied by another supplier and you pay them seperately.

If your moving in the next 12 months bear in mind that most suppliers require you to sign a 12 month contract,and you could face a connection charge for your phone at your new abode.

Cheapest line rental supplier i am aware of is Madasafish. They are owned by BT. Line rental £9.75p a month .One month notice to cancel.

But i would hazard a guess they will put their prices up...

www.madasafish.com/talk

Turning to Sky i would be surprised if you could get the £16.50 deal in your rural location,as you need to live in a Sky Broadband Network area .If you cant the broadband would cost you £17 alone.

dianaross

Madasafish sounds good.

I am making enquiries to see if I can use moble broadband.

this is just the first of a long list of bills I am trying to cut, if I don't do something to save a few £ here and there heaven only knows how I will manage.

also looking at what extra work I can do at home in the evenings while the kids are in bed. I work 11 hours a day currently, there are still some hours left in the day... :think:

PlutoinCapricorn

If you look at other boards e.g. Up Your Income you will see many companies offering work that can be done at home, and almost all are 'scams'. They take money for registration or startup kits and give nothing in return. So don't let yourself be taken advantage of in this way.

Mobile Broadband can be bought with a prepaid allowance so you can give it a trial. Ready to Go with an allowance of 3gb costs £39.99. It will last for 3 months, or until the alowance runs out.

I bought 12gb prepaid last year, and am satisfied enough to have bought 24gb prepaid, which I hope will last 2 years.

My 3g is normally fast enough for my requirements, but it is slow in the evenings, and is very slow this morning.