BT Home Essentials Unlimited Broadband- check your renewal.

Newcad

Not a DWP benefit, but releted to them:

If you have an existing BT Home Essentials Unlimited Broadband that has renewed recently then check your renewal details and billing.

This morning I received 2-emails from BT (strangely both at 2:07 am, but they do check as being genuine so I guess it was an automated 'Monday/weekday' thing).
Both saying that my BT Home Essentials Unlimited Broadband Plan had renewed, which was due - and that the cost had increased to £18 a month.

That didn't sound right so I did some checking and found,

• BT increase general broadband packages by £3 each year.
• BT have promised not to increase the Home Essentials Unlimited Broadband price this year.
  (I also have a previous email from February clearly stating that there will be no price increase for Home Essentials Unlimited Broadband this year).
• They did increase the price to £16 for new customers who will now be on the "Home Essentials No Income" plan, and this is shown in the current Terms and Conditions: https://www.bt.com/terms/home-essentials (only existing customers and new customers still on ADSL not fibre can still have 'Home Essentials Unlimited Broadband' at £15).
• And this one is the kicker - There is no current BT Home Essentials plan that is priced at £18 a month.

I'm guessing here that they have applied the general £3 increase in error.

Accordingly I have fired off a complaint by email to that effect. I'll update what happens next.

Muttleythefrog

The £3 increase seems legitimate (ours was to rise £15 to £18).... I have avoided it by switching to the Essentials No Income plan for £16. Hopefully you can get clarity.

TimeLord1

Yep the £3 quid inflation con is legit. They did release an error update this year they sent out an apology for because it was wrong. Can't remember exactly.

TimeLord1

That's it @Newcad

https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2025/04/bt-remove-uk-social-broadband-tariff-option-for-people-with-no-income.html 

HillStreetBlues

I had an e-mail on the 20th June saying mine was increasing by £2, currently paying £20pm

Robbie64

Definitely legit - mine has just increased from £20 to £22. I did receive an email a month or so ago to say it was increasing and when it renewed last week the email confirmed the price increase.

Starbright2

Mines the £20 one & so far it hasn't gone up & had no letters or emails saying it's going up

Newcad

I'd already seen that error they made earlier this year @TimeLord1 , and it does tend to confuse things a little.
(It also shows that BT have confused themselves with things 'Home Essemtials')

My main point here is fairly simple: none of the currently published Home Essentials plans have an £18 monthly cost. https://www.bt.com/terms/home-essentials

That being the case then none of them should be charging £18.

pumpkin60

    I've just checked mine and it hasn't gone up. I pay £20 month and it says my August bill is the same.

Newcad

Just to be clear here:

The Home Essentials tariffs are exempt for the annual £3 general increase for BT broadband.

However if BT had said "it's a new 12 month contract for Home Essentials Zero Income" rather than it being a renewal of my existing Home Esssentials Unlimited then I would have accepted that.

Being a Home Essentials Zero Income plan that would be £16 and not £18.

There is no way that the Home Essentials Unlimited should have been increased by £3 from £15 to £18 other than automatically by the computer applying the £3 increase in error.

Newcad

pumpkin60 said:

    I've just checked mine and it hasn't gone up. I pay £20 month and it says my August bill is the same.

I believe that this £3 increase is a computer error/oversight that happened at my 12 month recheck/renewal.
Muttleythefrog says that they saw it too.
So I don't believe that it will affect anyone who hasn't recently had a 12 month renewal.
But it is something to watch out for on your next renewal.