Wanting to cut mt Telephone Bill! HELP!

downandout!

Folks,

I have only recently discovered these forums on this site and how good they are. Anyway, I noticed this topic area and thought i would have a look but there are so many different threads it could take weeks, so i think it might be better if i just tell all you knowledgeable folks my situation and hopefully reap the rewards of your advice.

I currently receive my telephone service from Telewest (along with my TV) but for a long time i have not been impressed with their services. I don't use the phone for more than a couple of minutes at a time (like most males) however my Mrs uses it lots and the fact that she doesn't work and is home all day makes this worse. Her mum doesn't have a landline in her house and therefor the only way to contact her or my Mrs's brother is via their mobiles. Furthermore, when her mum or bro wish to speak to my Mrs they ring twice, hang up, then let my Mrs ring 1471 and call them back! She also has friends who she gasses to for up to an hour at a time every 2 or 3 days. (Ooops!...got carried away there. Rant over)

Anyway, i'm not sure of all the details with regards to our phone package but i think we get a discount on 2 or 3 landline numbers (friends & family or something) and a discount on 1 mobile number. I would get more details, however i am 100% sure there are cheaper alternatives for us anyway. I would hazard a guess that we pay around £20/£25 per month on calls and rental (so the Mrs says anyway :rolleyes: )

Any advice on which would be my cheapest option would be very much appreciated.

Thanks

downandout!

Ps: we never call overseas, if that would have ant bearing on my best option.

andy88_2

The first things to look at are call18866 for cheap calls to landlines and call1899 for landlines and mobiles. Plenty of detail here on both. (From non-BT, as you are, 1899 will be cheaper to landlines for calls longer than 4 min)

There are also deals for off-peak calls from Talktalk and One-tel that may be worth looking at, but other people can advise whether you can use these from there.

You might also consider mobiles with cashback on the line rental for the mobile calls, depending on how much time used, or maybe get the rest of the family to pay a better share!

downandout!

Thanks andy88,

I registered with 1899 today.

The Mrs informed me we pay £10(ish) line rental and £15.50 for talk unlimited. i.e. i was £25.50 without the cost of calls to those not on the talk unlimited being added!

I am therefor expecting to be saving around £15 per month.

Cheers for the help mate.

downandout!

downandout!

meant to ask in my previous post, are both free to register and can you do both at the same time? i.e. use 1899 for calls to mobiles and 18866 for calls to landlines.

sergeant121

Yes.

Yes.

[font=&quot]Although I’d recommend having 2 lines if you really mean to do both at the same time!
[/font]

downandout!

Thanks sergeant121,

Set myself up for that one!

downandout!

sergeant121

downandout! wrote:

Thanks sergeant121,

Set myself up for that one!

downandout!

Sorry, I just couldn't resist!

stellagypsy

Down and out - check out what networks she calls on mobiles becuse Onetel can be cheaper for some than 1899 or 18866 during the evening PLUS their landline calls are free at evenings and weekends at the moment PLUS if you sign up online you get £20 call credit.

My son had obsessive compulsive mobile phone dialling disorder (mostly to his girlfriend) resulting in collossal monthly bills which I have slashed to 10% of what they were by becoming totally anal about the tarrifs and using a combination of Onetel/1899/18866 - see my posts on the Orchid dialler discount thread for how I did it and the combination I use now - I am on BT so yours would be slightly different as you are on NTL - just use 1899 instead of 18866, the rest is the same.

BTW, I can't recommend the dialler enough. Suffice it to say I have saved enough to pay for my skiing holiday.

HTH, Stella

downandout!

Thanks stellagypsy, will certainly tale a look at this.

A little point to note regarding 1899 and 18866. I was of the impression 1899 was cheaper for calling mobile phones and 18866 for calling landlines.

However when i use 1899 it says "this is a free phonecall" to landlines and "call will be 2p/min" to mobiles. 18866 on the other hand says "call will be 0.5p/min" to landlines and "call will be 4p/min" to mobiles. i.e. 1899 is better on both fronts.

Furthermore they do neither recognize my dads number , so i have to just call him direct. Not a big problem however, as when i call my dad it is short and to the point anyway as he stays 5 min away and it is only to ask if he needs any shopping or whatever.

downandout!

Edinburghlass_2

andy88 wrote:

The first things to look at are call18866 for cheap calls to landlines and call1899 for landlines and mobiles. Plenty of detail here on both. (From non-BT, as you are, 1899 will be cheaper to landlines for calls longer than 4 min)

There are also deals for off-peak calls from Talktalk and One-tel that may be worth looking at, but other people can advise whether you can use these from there.

You might also consider mobiles with cashback on the line rental for the mobile calls, depending on how much time used, or maybe get the rest of the family to pay a better share!

Downandout, I think you will see here that Andy has pointed out that from a non-BT line you would be cheaper with 1899.

As more people are with BT they tend to post from that viewpoint where 18866 is 0p per minute

When you are phoning your Dad are you inputing the whole number including the area code as well? If you do it should be recognised!!

downandout!

tyvm edinburghlass for clearing that up.

recognises my dads No now.

downandout!