Do I actually need my house phone now?

Caddyman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82022192#Comment_82022192

☝️ Which is exactly what I stated in my previous post.

It might be a demographic thing and it isn't a criticism, but it does seem to me, that there are a lot of folk in their senior years who are either not comfortable using a smartphone, actually don't have one anyway, or for disability, diminished eyesight or for mobility reasons, arthritis etc, they cannot use a mobile phone and so rely on a landline. Ok, so whilst not 'elderly' myself whatever age 'elderly' is supposed to be, please someone feel free to state at what age somone is 'old', I'm 60 and I've been using smartphones for years and I cannot see myself ever returning to using a landline.

I accept that there are now parents who state that they are going to actually restrict their children's smartphone use. I don't have kids, so it doesn't affect me, but somehow, I don't think having a landline at home is going to make much difference. Most kids these days are savvy enough that if their smartphones are taken off of them, they'll just go out and buy a cheap smartphone with a pay as you go SIM if they need to and use it elsewhere out of sight of their parents, just as some do now. So how do you stop that? Ban under 16's from buying smartphones and SIM cards?

I'm not entirely convinced that there is any sort of resurgence in the landline. Landline decline has been going on for years. Researching statistics online reveals that only between 52% and 47% of UK homes retain a landline and out of that, approximately only 15 percent use it regularly.

Albermarle

We keep a landline, mainly for one reason.

We have a seriously disabled family member and we get a LOT of incoming phone calls about them. Social services; physio; day centre; respite centre; Doctors ; wheelchair service etc etc.

We ask that they all phone the landline first, before phoning one of our mobiles. Usually at least one of us is at home. ( not always of course)This is because it is easier ( and less stressful ) to deal with these various issues/queries when at home, rather than the mobile ringing when you are at the checkout at Tesco's, relaxing with a friend over coffee, gone fishing etc.

We also do not discourage other friends or family from using the landline for the same reason, although of course some phone your mobile automatically.

Although this is a specific situation, it can apply in other situations. The landline can mean you are not always 'on call' wherever you are and whatever you are doing.

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82019917#Comment_82019917

 if keeping a landline, you'll ultimately be forced onto Digital Voice. Just means you have to have some sort of adapter or you plug your phone directly into the back of a ISP route

If you are with BT at least, you can have Digital Voice phones that connect without any adaptor, and no need to plug in to the router.

They connect to the router wirelessly ( but not using your normal wifi) .

steven141

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82022989#Comment_82022989

I agree. This thing of being contactable these days and people expecting an instant response is what us causing so much stress. That alongside constant multitasking in modern life is a disaster waiting to happen. The only exceptions is if there is an emergency where you have to be somewhere.

horsewithnoname

I’ve still got a landline. I don’t use it, but it doesn’t cost anything so why not? If it cost me I’d get rid of it, but as it doesn’t, inertia wins😁

iniltous

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82025103#Comment_82025103

Who supply’s your landline service ‘free’ ? , back in the day when BT required a telephone service to ‘host’ broadband, there were many understandable complaints of ‘why do I need to pay for a telephone service I don’t want it , I just eat to have broadband ‘, there clearly a cost to providing telephony , hence there must also be a saving to be made by not taking it ….those companies that now effectively do what BT used to do and include telephone even if you don’t want it (saying it’s free when it isn’t , it’s just included in the price ) clearly could be cheaper if they offered the option of broadband only , you may argue that the company in question is cheaper for broadband and telephone than some companies charge for broadband only , that may well be true , but it’s also true (and unarguable ) that if they removed the free telephone (because it isn’t really free it’s part if the monthly cost ) then broadband only would be even cheaper .

dnpark38

@iniltous

My Sky BB and telephone cost is the same even if I did not have a phone.

I do have a number and only cost would be out going calls if any made.

Neil_Jones

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82025103#Comment_82025103

No such thing as a free lunch.
When the pricing was simplified providers were required to lump phone and broadband together in one price, and most of them decided to effectively give the broadband for free as you needed a phone line for it. We didn't (and still don't) do so-called naked DSL which is effectively broadband without a phone line. FTTP is not the same thing/

Caddyman

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82025103#Comment_82025103

That's the issue, you think it's free because you can't see the price included anywhere so you think it's free when it's already built into the price of the product. This way every customer pays for it even if they don't have the product. It's just playing with people's minds.

molerat

Just checked and as I thought BT charge £5 pm for PAYG landline on top of broadband price.