What is wrong with BT mobile charges?

whetherornot

Hello,

Am I missing something? I've been researching how to get my home phone bill cheaper - especially calling mobiles - and have considered various options, including primus (through uswitch) and the over-ride numbers to make it cheaper to call mobiles.

However, when it comes to calling mobiles, nobody seems cheaper than BT Together Option 3, who have a 25% discount on calling mobiles.

Per minute rates: 9.75p (day) 6p (eve) 3.75p (weekend)

Even the over-ride providers are more expensive when you consider the 5p per-call charge.

So the £20.95 / month charge for BT option 3 which gives me free landline calls all day every day, plus the 25% discount on mobiles does seem like my best deal.

But, everyone else seems to be saying stick with BT Option 1 and go to Primus, plus over-ride where it suits.

confused!

I have read lots of articles on these sites, and I've printed out the 7 step plan recommended by Heinz (I think)... but I'm still not convinced.

Hazzanet

I think with all these questions, there's no definitive answer because the cheapest provider will depend on your usage of the phone, the destinations called and the length of calls.

Say you only made mobile calls, of 5 minutes length and you made 100 of these a month (although most moneysavers will avoid calling mobiles at all costs!!!) with 18185 it would cost you:

18185 Weekdays PEAK:
BT Line rental: £11.00
Call set up costs: 100 x 5p = £5.00
Call costs: 500 x 6p = £30.00

Total = £46.00

BT Weekdays PEAK:
BT Rental Opt 3 = £20.75
Call costs: 500 x 9.75p = £48.75
Total cost (exc call set up charges) = £69.50

Taking weekday landline calls, the difference in line rental is £9.75 between Option 1 and 3, therefore you would need to make more than 195 of these calls a month for BT to be your better option.

HTH

hurrah

Depending on your usage it might be worth you making them from a mobile.
3 offer 500 x-net minutes for £15 a month. (Which works out at 3p a minute any network anytime).

whetherornot

Thank you. Very useful. I'm new to this money saving game, and working out what is a genuine saving is - for me - like hacking my way branch by branch through a thick jungle...

I still don't know what to do. Think I will go for Primus through uswitch.com but nervous about being contracted for 12 months.

whetherornot

BT Weekdays PEAK:
BT Rental Opt 3 = £20.75
Call costs: 500 x 9.75p = £48.75
Total cost (exc call set up charges) = £69.50

Sorry to post another reply - but what do you mean by 'exc call set up charges)? Are there extra set up charges with BT option 3 - I didn't think there were?

April2

whetherornot wrote: »

BT Weekdays PEAK:
BT Rental Opt 3 = £20.75
Call costs: 500 x 9.75p = £48.75
Total cost (exc call set up charges) = £69.50

Sorry to post another reply - but what do you mean by 'exc call set up charges)? Are there extra set up charges with BT option 3 - I didn't think there were?

3p per call for 'non-inclusive' calls (like calls to 07/084/087/09 numbers).

Heinz

April2 wrote: »

3p per call for 'non-inclusive' calls (like calls to 07/084/087/09 numbers).

And 055/056 numbers.

Odyssy

I've been looking at Pipex to replace BT option 3, and their calls to mobiles are the same as BT option 3 - http://www.pipex.co.uk/phonecalls/callcosts/.

This looks to be an ideal BB/phone package for us, but I'm wavering as there are some negative reports around, Pipex used to be (a couple of years ago) a highly respected ISP. I suppose that the more customers you have' the greater the potential for problems, the key is the proportion of happy/unhappy customers.

Our exchange is unbundled for Pipex and I'm trying to find out if anyone has experience of this service.