Cost of annual Line Rental Saver 2 February 2021 at 7:34PM in Phones & TV 9 replies 2.6K views

Retired_Saver

I'm trying to find the 2021 cost of Plusnet annual line rental saver.  I think it may be just under £200 and although I have looked on line and tried their 'chat' the chat option is closed at present.  I would like to be able to compare with the cost of BT's annual line rental saver.  I know it is cheaper to pay one year in advance than to pay monthly but I was not able to find the current cost if paid in advance and alongside a standard broadband package.

I wondered about giving up my landline but I have to keep it for my broadband.

If anyone knows please let me know, thank you.

Retired_Saver

Neil_Jones

Retired_Saver said:

I'm trying to find the 2021 cost of Plusnet annual line rental saver.  I think it may be just under £200 and although I have looked on line and tried their 'chat' the chat option is closed at present.  I would like to be able to compare with the cost of BT's annual line rental saver.  I know it is cheaper to pay one year in advance than to pay monthly but I was not able to find the current cost if paid in advance and alongside a standard broadband package.

I wondered about giving up my landline but I have to keep it for my broadband.

If anyone knows please let me know, thank you.

Retired_Saver

https://www.plus.net/home-broadband/line-rental-saver-faq/

https://www.plus.net/home-broadband/faqs/broadband-and-phone/ - "Line rental costs £20.29 a month.  Pay for 12 months line rental in advance and save money. Line Rental Saver costs £209.88 for 12 months line rental (monthly equivalent £17.49)."

BT's Line Rental Saver works out to about one month free, whereas Plusnet is 15% (ish) off the 12 monthly price.

Retired_Saver

Thanks Neil_Jones.  I'll keep the links - very much appreciated.

Retired_Saver 

brewerdave

Retired_Saver said:

I'm trying to find the 2021 cost of Plusnet annual line rental saver.  I think it may be just under £200 and although I have looked on line and tried their 'chat' the chat option is closed at present.  I would like to be able to compare with the cost of BT's annual line rental saver.  I know it is cheaper to pay one year in advance than to pay monthly but I was not able to find the current cost if paid in advance and alongside a standard broadband package.

I wondered about giving up my landline but I have to keep it for my broadband.

If anyone knows please let me know, thank you.

Retired_Saver

I believe that Plusnet are doing away with ALR after the middle of this month. I'm struggling to get confirmation but PN's forum suggests that it's happening. I've paid it for a number of years as historically I got evening and weekend calls included.

Retired_Saver

Thanks brewerdave.  I wonder if that's  why I struggled to find the cost on line for 2021.  Thanks to the helpful links from Neil_Jones I was able to find the information.  If you find any further information please let me know.  Like many folks in retirement, I do the best I can to manage finances on a fixed  income and there is always great help throughout  the MSE forums' really helpful contributors. 
I'll keep checking here in case there is any news, thank you. I would be sorry to also lose the included evening and weekend calls as well as the included calls to other Plusnet users.

Retired_Saver 

JJ_Egan

Negative of paying ALR can be that its 12 months but BB contract is 18 or 24 months .

Neil_Jones

brewerdave said:

Retired_Saver said:

I'm trying to find the 2021 cost of Plusnet annual line rental saver.  I think it may be just under £200 and although I have looked on line and tried their 'chat' the chat option is closed at present.  I would like to be able to compare with the cost of BT's annual line rental saver.  I know it is cheaper to pay one year in advance than to pay monthly but I was not able to find the current cost if paid in advance and alongside a standard broadband package.

I wondered about giving up my landline but I have to keep it for my broadband.

If anyone knows please let me know, thank you.

Retired_Saver

I believe that Plusnet are doing away with ALR after the middle of this month. I'm struggling to get confirmation but PN's forum suggests that it's happening. I've paid it for a number of years as historically I got evening and weekend calls included.

When I was haggling for a deal late last year I found out (probably by accident) that it was supposed to be going then, and this was just before they changed the prices in October.  However this does explain why I had issues with it previously, as my parents account couldn't get the line saver renewed, so after a bit of coming and going and a bit of complaining they forced it through from their end and in one of my better haggling sessions I got an entire year's line rental for them for nothing, so ultimately it didn't make any difference in the end.

Turns out it was announced last year Plusnet were withdrawing ALR, later confirmed to be to new subscribers only, so existing customers should not be affected:

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2020/04/isp-plusnet-to-replace-pre-paid-line-rental-saver-discount.html

Although it doesn't fix the underlying issues Plusnet have with their billing system that they've had for months on end and clearly either can't/won't fix.  Deals applied by phone tend to fall off if you're not watching.

pbartlett

"I wondered about giving up my landline but I have to keep it for my broadband."

Don't know what your broadband usage is, but if it is light (eg browsing, banking, emails etc rather than watching netflix etc) then have you considered a mobile phone hotspot? I gave up my landline years ago and my laptop is connected via my hotspot.

Retired_Saver

Thanks pbartlett.  My usage is not heavy.  My hesitation would also be that sometimes my mobile reception cuts out.  Maybe not justified but I wonder if having a landline  is maybe a bit more secure.
  
If the landline becomes prohibitively  expensive I would really look into it.  Thanks for mentioning it as it keeps another option open at a time when we are doing everything possible to avoid excessive expense.

Retired_Saver 

pbartlett

I suppose you have to evaluate how bad the mobile reception cutting out is

 that said as long as you have mobile reception that should be no problem accessing the Internet via mobile hotspot you could give it a try and see how it goes