Looking for a new home phone provider

malcolmffc

Hi,

I'm looking for a new home phone provider (currently with BT.) We make virtually no domestic calls (both have mobiles with landlines included) but we do make a lot of calls to the US where my wife's family are, so use the £1.99 per month cheap calls option.

I'm thinking of switching to a cheaper provider if possible. We definitely want to stay with Be, our internet provider, as a fast connection with unlimited downloads is a must for us and few others seem to provide that. Does anyone know if our internet will still work if I switch to (e.g. Primus?)

Thanks

Ypaymore

Primus not such a good idea.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3371404

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3409009

BT Line Rental Saver reduces Line Rental to £10 a month. No need to pay the cheap call option. Use someone like www.18185.co.uk for cheap calls to USA.

jack_spratt_2

What about post office phones run by BT with inclusive calls to the US at weekends for £12-25 a month .
You would need to check how many calls you are allowed each month to the US

I believe it is a monthly contract

http://www2.postoffice.co.uk/broadband-phone/home-phone-broadband/home-phone

Heinz

BT's £1/month Friends & Family International calls option reduces your call costs to the U.S. to what, 2½p/minute? Plus the dreaded 12½p Call Set-Up fee of course.

If you leave your line rental with BT and open a www.18185.co.uk account, your U.S. calls would cost ½p/min plus a 4p connection fee. In my experience, no loss of call quality results.

An additional possibility is opting for BT's Line Rental Saver - which would effectively reduce your line rental to £10/month.

csj_2

I am considering moving to BT Line Saver from the ordinary BT line rental and am wondering if there are any signiifcant disadvantages in doing so. I seem to remember Heinz advising against it some time back but now seems to be more positive towards it. I have an Orchid dialler and use 18185 with Lawry's Excel spreadsheet programme. It would seem at first glance to be an obvious thing to do and I already make the required number of chargeable calls (0845 at weekends, for example) to get free Caller ID.

Heinz

csj wrote: »

I am considering moving to BT Line Saver from the ordinary BT line rental and am wondering if there are any signiifcant disadvantages in doing so. I seem to remember Heinz advising against it some time back but now seems to be more positive towards it. I have an Orchid dialler and use 18185 with Lawry's Excel spreadsheet programme. It would seem at first glance to be an obvious thing to do and I already make the required number of chargeable calls (0845 at weekends, for example) to get free Caller ID.

Yes, I was opposed to BT's LRS at first on the grounds I don't like lending them money and it results in the immediate and permanent loss of paper-free discount. Hence, the alleged saving is immediately reduced by £15 (12 x £1.25).

However, £120 up front saves £46.80 - £15.00 = £31.80 and that is approximately eleven times more than the £3.60 interest a deposit of £120 in a 3% savings account would earn over 12 months.

csj_2

Thanks, Heinz. I guessed that was your previous argument against Line Saver. I will now switch to that facility.

NPowerUser

Never had any problems with Post Office Home Phone

Free calls to mobiles from 6PM Friday and all weekend, ditto when calling Australia and USA at the weekend.

No money grabbing up front, no contract, just pay your bill when you get it.

Just had my Post Office Home Phone bill = £41.26 all in for the quarter which includes line rental of £30.63

I make loads of calls to mobiles at the weekend and my sons live in Australia and France so I save loads with the Post Ofice.

Would I ever go back to BT with their yuppie bills and cash grabbing, no thanks.

macman

The only downside of LRS is that it is not refundable if your circumstances change.