BT is too expensive

former_student

After getting a bill of BT for £113 I've decided to do something about it.

I'm from Northern Ireland and I use BT (option 1), they also own the phone line etc. The phone in my house is usually only ever used for incoming calls, I think during the last quarter it was used to make 2 calls.

The primary reason for the phoneline is so that I can use broadband which I get from BT as well.

Is there anything I can do to the current setup to reduce my quartly bill as I think £113 is a little too expensive especially since it is only broadband that I really use.

Thanks

Heinz

Can you be more specific about how the £113 is arrived at?

I have BT Together Option 1 and BT Total Broadband and my charges are:

BT Together Options 1........ - £28.07
BT Total Broadband Option 1 - £45.93
VAT................................... £12.95
Total ................................. £87.95

As you say you don't use the phone for outgoing calls, what is the other £25.05 for?

former_student

Hi Heinz

BT Together option £30.63
Broadband Services £48.48
VAT 16.67
Equipment Rental £3.25
Cost of Calls 13.22 (A few more calls than I originally thought)

-0.35 (Friends and Family auto Update)

Total bill 111.90

Is there anything I can do to reduce this giant bill?

Heinz

(1). Your BT Together Option 1 landline rental is £36/quarter incl. VAT - so you're wasting £3.75/quarter (£5.25/quarter from 1/5/07) by not paying by DD and not opting for paper-free billing.

(2). Your BT Total Broadband Option 1 is £54/quarter incl. VAT so you're wasting £3/quarter by not paying by DD.

(3). Stop renting 'equipment' (I assume a phone). You can buy a phone for less than £3.25!

That's your bill reduced by £10 (£11.25 from 1/5/07). The rest (call charges) is going to be down to you but, if you just click the 'HERE' link in my signature below, you will find a number of suggestions on how that can be reduced too.

Best of, luck.

former_student

Heinz wrote: »

(1). Your BT Together Option 1 landline rental is £36/quarter incl. VAT - so you're wasting £3.75/quarter (£5.25/quarter from 1/5/07) by not paying by DD and not opting for paper-free billing.

(2). Your BT Total Broadband Option 1 is £54/quarter incl. VAT so you're wasting £3/quarter by not paying by DD.

(3). Stop renting 'equipment' (I assume a phone). You can buy a phone for less than £3.25!

That's your bill reduced by £10 (£11.25 from 1/5/07). The rest (call charges) is going to be down to you but, if you just click the 'HERE' link in my signature below, you will find a number of suggestions on how that can be reduced too.

Best of, luck.

Thanks there was some good feedback in that post but I have a few additional queries I hope you wont mind answering.

1. Do I simply contact BT on '151' and tell them that I no longer wish to rent the phone at £3.25 and if so where abouts are these phones that can be bought for less than £3.

2. Can I pay by DD every month instead of every quarter and will paying every month effect the amount I have to pay overall.

3. Would switching my broadband service be an advantage financially or not?

Thanks again.

[Deleted User]

You can buy a phone for £2.99 at Argos.

Heinz

1. Ring 150. As LeeUk says, Argos is a good source - they have THIS for £2.97

2. I pay by quarterly 'whole bill direct debit' DD but I believe BT do a monthly version of that too - if I'm right, 150 should be able to deal with that too.

3. Undoubtedly there are cheaper broadband providers but, in my (small village) situation, I take the coward's option and stick with BT - so am not in a position to offer advice. My daughter has changed provider twice - and had horrible problems both times.

BexTech

The chances are when you phone BT to say you no longer want to rent the phone, they will say keep it / bin it.

louisehj

Your rental on the equipment would have had an 18 month minimum term on it so check with 150 if you are still in term for it. If not you can cancel the rental of the phone and BT don't require you to return it - it becomes yours.

former_student

Thanks very much to all who helped me out, I will get in touch with BT later on today.

[Deleted User]

When my mother stopped renting a phone from BT in the early 90s, BT sent her a freepost jiffy bag to send the phone back in. :rolleyes: